A MOLECULE that can be made to twist from one shape to another could become a powerful motor for use in future nanomachines. Unlike previous molecular motors based on biomolecules, which needed the biochemical fuel adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to function (New Scientist, 12 August 2000, p 14), the new molecular motor can be driven by light or electricity, potentially leading to much simpler nanomachines.
The new molecule is of a type known as a metallacarborane. It consists of a nickel atom attached to carborane structures, each consisting of a pair of carbon atoms and several hydrogen and boron atoms, which…
