Nanomotor mechanisms and motive force distributions from nanorotor trajectories.
Nanomotors convert chemical energy into mechanical motion. For a given motor type, the underlying chemical reaction that enables motility is typically well known, but the detailed, quantitative mechanism by which this reaction breaks symmetry and converts chemical energy to mechanical motion is often less clear, since it is difficult experimentally to measure important parameters such as the spatial distribution of chemical species around the nanorotor during operation. Without this information on how motor geometry affects motor function, it is difficult to control and optimize nanomotor behavior. Here we demonstrate how one easily observable characteristic of nanomotor operation-the visible trajectory of a nanorotor-can provide quantitative information about the role of asymmetry in nanomotor operation, as well as insights into the spatial distribution of motive force along the surface of the nanomotor, the motive torques, and the effective diffusional motion.
Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA and Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
Amir
A
Nourhani
Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
Young-Moo
YM
Byun
Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
Paul E
PE
Lammert
Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
Ali
A
Borhan
Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA and Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
Vincent H
VH
Crespi