Photon-powered nanomotor transforms light directly into motion

Sunlight prompts the newly developed molecular nanomotor to unclasp in this artist’s illustration. Pic credit: Yan Chen/University of Florida

Article Summary

Most solar powered motors require an intermediate step where the light is converted to electricity or heat, usually by a photovoltaic cell, before it can be used to drive the motor. But now a team of University of Florida chemists have developed a new type of “molecular nanomotor” that bypasses this step and transforms light directly into motion – albeit on a very tiny scale.

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