Scientists have created a molecule that walks on two legs when it feels heat or is lured by the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope.
The molecule, named 9,10-dithioanthracene (DTA), walks in such a way that at any given moment, it only has one “leg” touching the surface. When it encounters heat, the atomic chain of DTA rotates forward, causing one leg to lift while the other leg lowers.
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The walking molecule. | ||
In this manner of walking, the molecule moves in a straight line without stumbling or veering off course. This bipedal movement resembles that of humans, although it is not yet perfected in the realm of humanoid robotics.
DTA can also be lured by the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope, serving as a “carrot“. In experiments on a standard copper surface, DTA walked 1,000 steps without falling once.
Ludwig Bartels, the project leader at the University of California, Riverside, stated that these tiny walking molecules may someday be used to guide movements for molecular-scale information storage systems or even computers.
The walking molecule is the latest product in this field, following the recent development of a molecular car.
T. An (according to LiveScience)
