In short time, researchers at the University of Florida will develop nano-robots that can do everything from surgery to cleaning up toxic waste. What is very important is that these robots will be powered by solar energy.
The scientists have created a “molecular nanomotor,” driven only by photons. While it is not the first photon-driven nanomotor, the almost infinitesimal device is the first light-powered nanomotor with a single molecule of DNA, giving it a simplicity that increases its potential for manufacture and development.
When the nanomotor is in closed form it measures 2-5 nanometers and when in operation it can reach 12 nanometers. Researcehrs have declared that the nanomotor uses considerably more of the energy in light compared to solar cells. “These are mainly inspired by biology, where you see a lot of molecular motors,” said Joseph A. Philips, a chemist at the University of Florida’s Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface. “We’ve seen what nature can do, now we want to see what we can do.”
[via Ecofriend]
