Molecular crystal motors completely powered by light
By 
Rebecca Trager2024-03-25T14:30:00
Chemists in Saudi Arabia and the US have created tiny machines made from crystallised molecules that continuously move when exposed to light
After working together for over two decades on photomechanical crystals, chemists in the US and Saudi Arabia have built molecular crystal motors that are completely powered by light. When exposed to light, these tiny machines perform coordinated movements, and they exhibit the unique ability to sustain continuous motion through a feedback loop.
With further development, the researchers suggest that their devices might be used in drug delivery. Some experts in the field not involved in the study also suggest that these molecular crystal motors could have applications for microfluidics, such as angling tiny droplets and moving them between reaction compartments.