James,
I tried my level best to go through the details of that single molecular motor experiment/claim because it deals with the real nano size. Here are my observations, analysis and objections-
1- First of all, it is not an electric motor, as it was presented and understood generally, because its rotation is happening due to the physical impact of the electrons, not by the magnetic field caused by the flow of the electrons, which is essaential in the case of an electric motor.
In an electrical motor, electrons do not hit or go through the rotor but pass through only its stator. That flow creates a magnetic field, which forces its rotor to rotate in a certain direction, and we can make any other thing to rotate by coupling with the rotor.
Means, in an eletric motor, electrical energy has to be converted into mechanical energy, which is not happening in this case. Here, there is no stator or magnetic field at all, and eletrons are thrown directly at rotor as a physical force instead.
It is okay that folks may not be able to discern this subtlety but I am bit surprised how scientific community missed this aspect. In each and every scientific general and magazine, it is called electric motor which is clearly not the case.
2- Secondly, it is not true that the total size of that arrangement/system/motor is 1 nm. That is again a misrepresentation of the facts. Let me explain that.
I do not know about you but i looked at the details of the experiment, and tried to understand what is all about and what actually happens there.
In this experiment, a plate of copper is used as a base, on which the sulphur atom of Butyl Methyl Sulfide (bms) sticks or bonds itself. Now, electrons are thrown to the arms of BMS molecule, which act as the propellers of the motor, and molecule strart rotating on the axis of copper-sulplor bond.
It is evident from the experiment that copper plate is also an essential part of the motor/arrangement for two reasons.
First of all, that copper plate is necessary to complete the circle of electrons because electrons are actually moving towards the copper plate, not the molecule itself. The molecule was placed in such a way so it was hit before the plate.
Secondly, the sulphur atom of that molecule needs that copper plate in order to for a bond on which the whole molecule can rotate.
Thus, copper plate is also inclusive of that motor and thus the whole arrangement exceeds the nano size by a fair margin. Again, this aspect is also overlooked by the scientific fraternity.
3- This is perhaps the most important issue amongst all and revalidates what I said earlier in this discussion about everything having a limit.
All this electron firing and picturing is done here by Scanning Tunneling Microscope. It is a very special device and perhaps not more than a couple of hundreds in the world.
It works only in near vacuum because it uses a very faint flow of electrons to take pictures but this is not possible if there would be other atoms/electrons already exist there in the ambient, besides those which are omitted from the microscope.
Secondly, all this experiment was conducted at - 450 F, which is merely some degree above from absolute zero.
BMS is found in the gas form in the nature and its sulphur molecule does not stick with copper in that condition because of its kinetic energy. This energy normally dominates over the strength of sulphur-copper bond and as the result, BMS molecules do not stick to copper. But, when the temperature comes down to absolute zero, BMS molecules lose their all kinetic energy thus bond themselves with the copper.
It is also to important to know here that this so called control of the molecule happens only at - 450 F, not above that. With every rise in the temperature, the rotations of the molecule tends to increase and it becomes impossible to control and measure its activities. Merely some degrees above from - 450, it becomes impossible to control and measure its rotations, and at - 273 F, its rotations reaches almost at one million per second. Thus, we can imagine what will happen at normal temperature.
James, this is precisely I was talking about; limitations and absolutes. No one can go on and on forever in a particular deduction practically. There will be a limit to everything. Yes, one can deduct theories as far as one likes but only on the paper, not on the ground.
It is practically impossible to control materials at actual nano level. Yes, we can interfere in that to some extent, as this experiment suggests.
James, there is one more aspect of this nano thing, which have not got attention so far.
Interference and even making some nano level things is not such a big deal. The fact of the matter is that every event happens at nano level, or even smaller scales.
The real issue is control, both in making and measurement. That is where the actual problem lies. Unless one is not adopting bottom to up approach, he is not inventing any nano material.
Let me take an example to explain my point. We have simple light torches since long. But, what actually it does?
Does it not produce photons, which is a nano level material? Can we not on and off the flow of photons at our will, along with its direction? But, can we consider a torch as a nano invention?
I do not think so. It will be an abuse to the spirit of the definition. The same applies to this single molecular motor too.
With love,
sanjay