The smallest engine in the world is a million times smaller than an ant

British scientists have successfully engineered a few billionths of a meter of nanotube-powered light.

According to Telegraph, the team at the University of Cambridge, England, produced the world's smallest nanoparticle, measuring a few billionths of a meter and operating on light. The engine's size is so small that it can be used to infiltrate living cells to fight disease. The engine is called ANT.

The world's smallest engine is made up of gold nanoparticles bonded to each other by temperature-sensitive polymers. Photo: Yi Ju.

"Like the ants, the engine can produce more power than its weight, and we have to face the challenge of controlling the performance of this nanotube," said Jeremy Baumberg, author. major study at the University of Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory.

The prototype engine is made up of tiny, super- charged gold particles bonded to each other by thermosensitive polymers. When heated to a certain temperature with a laser beam, the engine stores a large amount of elastic energy, gold nanoparticles tightly clustered. When the engine is cooled, the gold nanoparticles quickly separate, like a spring.

"The engine produces about 10 nano-Newton's force. The force per unit mass is about 10 to 100 times greater than any other engine, from jet engines to molecular motors , " Baumberg said. share with the Washington Post.

The research team is discussing with private companies to commercialize new technologies in the field of applied biology. "Our biggest challenge now is to create a device that can harness the force of a movement in one direction, somewhat like a piston in a steam engine," Baumberg said.