4.1 Nanocars and the development of molecular manufacturing  (Page 4/7)

As you have observed, the link between structure and function is vital to designs on both the macro and nanoscale. Thestructures described here do not, by any means, encompass the countless molecular structures that are required for the synthesis offunctional molecules, but serve only to provide a general idea of the types of designs involved in molecular manufacturing. With this briefintroduction to molecular manufacturing we are prepared to examine a specific example of molecular manufacturing: nanocar 1.

Design, structure, and function of nanocar system

The structure of nanocars facilitates their function. Therefore, their structure and more importantly the precise,deliberate engineering of their structure through assembly and implementation represents vital progress in nanoscale design andmolecular manufacturing. Studying the mechanics of rotors and motors from the bottom up, starting with the simplest molecules possible, theTour group engineered nanocars as the first in a series of tools to test molecular mechanics and prove the viability of moleculardesign.

Central to understanding the implications of the Tour Group research is an understanding of the structure of thenanocars—their design and their function. To best address the nanocar structure we will analyze its design and assembly in three components:the wheel, the chassis, and the surface it operates on. As it turns out, each of these aspects is equally important in determining thefunctionality of the nanocar and is therefore the best way to analyze the structure of the nanocar system.

Wheels

Clearly, there are many considerations that must be taken into account when choosing a wheel. The Tour Group atRice University selected C60 as their wheel for their first nanocar. C60 is entirely composed of carbon with alternatingpentagonal and hexagonal cyclical bond structures that form a spherical shell reminiscent of a soccer ball (figure 5). Ideally, thisstructure, under the right conditions, could roll with its compact surface and spherical shape. Furthermore, it is of a height that canbe imaged with an STM and elevate the chassis to prevent interactions with the operating surface. In a subsequent section, we will learnmore about how these concepts were tested and observed by the Tour Group.