A research team at Arizona State University claim to have developed tiny nanomotors up to ten times as powerful as current motors.

Containing platinum nanowires, the motors use hydrogen peroxide as the fuel for self-propulsion but they can be slow and inefficient for practical use.

But the researchers, led by Joseph Wang who is charge of the Center for Biosensors and Bioelectrics, found they could supercharge their nanomotors by inputting carbon nanotubes into the platinum.

This in turn boosted the speed to 60 micrometres per second (up from about ten micrometres per second).

The tubes, which help to conduct heat and electricity, have never been added to the platinum nanowires before but it has given new power to the motor.

Professor Wang said they were able to increase the speed even further by adding hydrazine to the hydrogen peroxide.

This allowed the motor to run at speeds of between 94 to 200 micrometres per second.

By multiplying this speed into a human scale, the new motor runs at the equivalent speed of a moped and Professor Wang believes they could be used in transport and delivery systems.



Source:

Research team develops new nanomotors, 05/06/08
http://asunews.asu.edu/20080605_nanomotors