Motors are everywhere in our daily lives, from cars to washing machines. Even though we don’t often notice them, they are everywhere. Future-oriented science is working to develop tiny motors that could power nanomachines and replace the current power sources used in electronic devices.
The first solid-state optical nanomotor was created by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin’s Cockrell School of Engineering. Most real-world applications for these light-driven motors are limited by their inability to be used in any other solutions than they were. The journal ACS Nano published this new research recently.
Yueqing Zhang is an associate professor at the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering. “Life started in water and then moved to land,” he said. “We have created these micro-nanomotors that live in solid solutions and work on the land.
According to scientists, these motors could be used to power many things. These motors could measure air quality since spinning could pick up dust and other particles. They could be used to propel drugs inside the body. They could also power small drones for surveillance, measurements and other mini-vehicles.
This tiny motor is only 100 nanometers in width (for comparison, a sheet of paper has a thickness of about 100,000 nanometers). It can also rotate on a solid substrate with light illumination. It can convert light into mechanical energy for various solid-state micro-/nano-electro-mechanical systems as a fuel-free and gear-free engine.
Brownian Motion is one of the greatest obstacles to implementing these devices. This can be avoided by bringing the nanomotors onto land and out of the water to avoid Brownian Motion. Brownian Motion occurs when water molecules push the motors of their spin. This Motion is stronger if the motor is smaller. This problem can be solved by removing the solution.
The growing number of tiny power sources is making nanomotors possible. They are a compromise between micro-engines and molecular machines.
This field is very interesting, but researchers still need to understand the science behind making tiny motors more practical and efficient.
Scientists are fascinated by creating tiny motors because they imitate some of the most vital biological structures. These motors are essential for cell division and movement in nature. They work together to aid organisms in moving.
Jingang Li, a Zheng graduate and lead author of the study, said that nanomotors allow us to control the nanoworld precisely and create new things for our real world.
These motors can be removed from the solution and put on chips. They have the potential to be used to replace batteries in certain cases.
This breakthrough is due to a new design: a thin layer on the substrate of phase change material. When exposed to light, the thin film can undergo a local and irreversible transition from a solid phase to a quasi-liquid phase. This phase change can reduce friction forces and drive the motors’ rotation. The researchers plan to improve their creativity and performance by making them more stable and controllable and converting light into mechanical energy at higher rates.