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nanotimes News in Brief

Johannes S. Seldenthuis, Ferry Prins, Joseph M. Thijssen, and Herre S. J. van der Zant from the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at Delft Universi- ty of Technology, The Netherlands, proposed a conceptually new design for a molecular motor. The design is based on electric field actuation and electric current detection of the rotational motion of a molecular dipole embedded in a three-terminal single-molecule device. Although motors powered by light or heat are useful for driving large assem- blies of molecules at once, it is very difficult to apply a force locally to drive a single molecular mo- tor. With an electric field this becomes much easier.

Moreover, the speed of rotation can be controlled very accurately by varying the frequency of the electric field. Although the direction of rotation of the proposed motor depends on its orientation in the junction, calculations show that it is uni- directional. One of the main challenges right now is to come up with a design that would provide full control over the direction of rotation.

Detection of the rotation of a molecular motor is a non-trivial issue, since the motion of a single molecule between electrodes is too small to image directly. At the moment the motor exists only on paper. However, certain parts of the design have already been verified experimentally, and the research group are currently talking to chemists who have expressed an interest in synthesizing the proposed molecules. This study was funded by Stichting FOM (project 86) and the EU FP7 program under the grant agreement “SINGLE”.

J. Seldenthuis, F. Prins, J. Thijssen, H. van der Zant: An All-Electric Single-Molecule Motor, In: ACS Nano,

11-01 :: December 2010 / January 2011

Volume 4, No. 11, October 11, 2010, Pages 6681-6686, DOI:10.1021/nn1021499:

http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/nn1021499

Researchers at the University of Texas, USA, have demonstrated a way to spin yarn out of nanotubes infused with useful powdered materials. The researchers have used the method to make strips of yarn that function as a battery electrode. http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/27039/page1/

http://nanotech.utdallas.edu/personnel/staff/baughman.html

http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~che/people/faculty/pasquali/ pasquali.html

Researchers at the Kolkata-based Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) have developed techniques to mo- dify the molecular structure of silica, a commonly available compound, to use it as a pesticide. The Indian scientists are working on developing the next generation of pesticides that employ nanoparticles, have potentially reduced toxicity, and can dramati- cally slash costs. http://www.livemint.com/2011/01/06232116/Resear- chers-working-on-pestici.html?atype=tp

China is expected to spend $153.7 billion on R&D in 2011, up from the $141.4 billion it will spend this year, according to Battelle Memorial Institute. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703 734204576019713917682354.html