Researchers have created a spiral-shaped molecule that rotates when electricity passes through it, potentially increasing electrical conductivity by up to 100 times.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Scientists have developed an electrically powered molecular motor that spins when electricity passes through it. Inspired by the Archimedes screw, the tiny machine can reverse its direction when the electrical voltage is switched.
The motor's central component is a spiral molecule created by the research group of Prof. Michael Pittelkow at the University of Copenhagen. Measuring only a few millionths of a millimeter, the molecule attaches to gold surfaces through sulfur atoms.
At the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, researchers led by Prof. Oren Tal and Dr. Anil Kumar Singh positioned individual molecules between two gold tips sharpened to atomic dimensions. By changing the separation between these electrodes, the team could stretch or compress the molecular screw.
When an electrical voltage is applied, electrons traveling through the spiral molecule transfer angular momentum to the molecular structure, producing rotation. The researchers found they could reverse the direction of rotation by changing the voltage's polarity. This is described as the first demonstration of a molecular motor that is driven by electrical current, firmly connected to two metal electrodes, and capable of rotating in a controllable direction.
Experiments revealed that the rotating molecule conducts electricity more efficiently than a stationary one. To investigate this, Prof. Dr. Fabian Pauly and PhD students Léon Martin and Yuta Ito at the University of Augsburg used quantum mechanical simulations on the LiCCA supercomputer.
Their calculations showed that conductivity increases by as much as two orders of magnitude, or 100 times, during rotation. According to Léon Martin, "The surprising thing is that it is precisely the positions that the molecule avoids when at rest that conduct electricity best. It is only the rotation that makes these positions accessible."
Theoretical physicists Per Hedegård of the Niels Bohr Institute and Jing-Tao Lü of Huazhong University of Science and Technology helped develop a simplified theoretical model that recreated the observed rotation and the increase in electrical current.
The achievement may contribute to the development of molecular electronic components and technologies involving spintronics. It may also offer possibilities for microfluidic systems that manipulate extremely small quantities of fluids.
"We have shown that an electric current can be used to generate a directed rotation and that this rotation, in turn, controls the current. This is a new operating principle for machines at the very limits of miniaturization," explains Pauly.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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