The smallest nano-motor comes out

Scientists used carbon nanotubes to create the smallest motor in the world. Its diameter is about 500 nanometers, 300 times smaller than hair, and it can be driven by voltage. Nanomotors were designed by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley. Researchers at the school, such as Alex Cutler, reported in the UK's Nature magazine published on the 24th that the rotating blades of the electric motor are a piece of gold leaf, less than 300 nanometers in length, and the blades are mounted on a large scale. Layers of carbon nanotubes are made on the shaft. The multi-walled carbon nanotubes are sleeved together by a plurality of hollow round tubes with different diameters, and the ends of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes are filled with silicon dioxide electrodes, which are fixed on a silicon wafer, and 3 other electrodes are arranged around the carbon nanotubes. . Applying a voltage between the carbon nanotubes and one of the electrodes enables it to rotate the gold leaf. If the voltage is greater, the outermost tube of the carbon nanotubes will be detached from the inner layer, allowing the gold leaf to rotate more flexibly. A constant voltage keeps the blade in a fixed position, and a periodic voltage allows it to rotate at a constant speed. Previously, scientists have also developed a variety of tiny nano-motors, but some have larger sizes, some require laser or magnetic actuation, and are not as flexible and convenient as its operation. This nano-motor is easy to drive, flexible in movement, requires loose temperature and chemical conditions, and can even operate in a vacuum, so it has a great potential for application, such as the manipulation of light signals with a gold blade as a mirror, or resonance through the blade. The speed of rotation to detect chemicals, etc.