A team effort across three countries has led to one of the largest advancements in nanotechnology.
Professors and grad students at Ohio University collaborated with labs in Toulouse, France and Singapore to produce the first nanoscale motor of multiple parts that can move in different directions, said Saw-Wai Hla, a leader for the project and professor of physics and astronomy at OU.
“Everything was a team effort,” Hla said. “France worked with experimentation of molecules, Ohio University dealt with synthesized imaging, while Singapore made calculations that contributed to the overall understanding of theory.”
Having created the multi-part motor is a key in the future of nanotechnology because of its ability to produce energy at the molecular level, he said.
According to the study in the January 2013 issue of Nature Nanotechnology, the motor that has been created is powered by electrons. It consists of a tripod that helps with vertical structure, a five-armed rotor for rotations and a ball that connects static and rotating parts.
Currently the project is funded through the U.S. Department of Energy for an estimated $420,000 for three years, said Arthur Smith, department head of the Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute and a professor of physics.
“I expect that project will continue and will continue to receive grants and funding,” Smith said. “With the success of the motor, I believe that Hla will continue to publish great articles.”
Nanotechnology is important because of its various uses. For example, Hla said, its motors can be used in informatics and even health care surgery.
Achievements made through the nanoscale motor promote OU as a leader in nanotechnology, said Andrea Gibson, director of Research Communication at OU.
“We have a very active and prestigious group … who is making significant contributions to the field,” Gibson said. “This research is a significant part of raising awareness that OU is actively and constantly working on new research.”
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