A 3D model of a possible molecular "nanocar." These single-molecule machines
are propelled by small pulses of an electric current.
Credit: Hubert Raguet/CEMES/CNRS Photothèque
Tiny vehicles made from a single molecule will go head-to-head in the first ever NanoCar Race tomorrow (April 28), and the competition will be broadcast live on YouTube.
The race is made possible by a one-of-a-kind scanning tunneling microscope (STM) at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in Toulouse, France, that lets four users manipulate molecules on the same surface simultaneously. Four independently operated ultrafine metallic tips deliver electrical pulses that will propel the so-called "nanocars" along a racetrack made of gold atoms.
Six teams made it through to the final round, according to the race organizers. Originally, four teams were going to be selected earlier today to take part in tomorrow's race, but the organizers ultimately decided that all the teams should participate. This means two teams will control microscopes remotely from their own labs — one in Ohio and the other in Graz, Austria. [Magnificent Microphotography: 50 Tiny Wonders] https://www.livescience.com/58875-molecule-machines-prep-for-first-nanocar-race.html
