Researchers at the University of Manchester, UK have made the first autonomous chemically powered synthetic small-molecule motor. The new device, which is very much like the protein motors found in biological cells, might be used to design artificial molecular machines similar to those found in nature. Such machines could be important for applications such as synthetic muscles, nano- and micro-robots and advanced mechanical motors.
This synthetic molecular motor works in a manner reminiscent of motor proteins, in which motion is powered by the protein catalyzing the hydrolysis of ATP. It also runs using a chemical fuel, Fmoc-Cl, and it derives its energy by catalytically decomposing the fuel to dibenzofulvene and CO2.
http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/tech/65220
Paper: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v534/n7606/full/nature18013.html
This synthetic molecular motor works in a manner reminiscent of motor proteins, in which motion is powered by the protein catalyzing the hydrolysis of ATP. It also runs using a chemical fuel, Fmoc-Cl, and it derives its energy by catalytically decomposing the fuel to dibenzofulvene and CO2.
http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/tech/65220
Paper: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v534/n7606/full/nature18013.html