Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Micromotors Race About By Turning Water Into Hydrogen Gas

Posted by Unknown on from the don't-let-krycek-get-any dept.

MTorrice writes "Microscopic particles of aluminum and gallium rocket around using water as their fuel. The particles, which are 20 micrometers in diameter, are asymmetric: A chemical reaction on the back side of the particle forms hydrogen gas bubbles that propel the motor forward. Over the past several years, bioengineers have built micro- and nanosized rockets that zip through liquids, fueled by chemical reactions between the materials that make up the rockets and their environments. The engineers hope someday these tiny motors could help deliver cargo, such as drugs, in people. Unfortunately, many of these motors require toxic hydrogen peroxide as fuel source, limiting their use in the body. To overcome that constraint, the new micromotors harness a well-known reaction between aluminum and water to produce hydrogen gas."

5 of 85 comments (clear)

  1. 20m in diameter by snowraver1 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I don't know bow it's administered, but I'd rather die...

    --
    Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. This comment may not be copied in any way including, but not limited to caching.
    1. Re:20m in diameter by ChatHuant · · Score: 4, Funny

      Engineering time and it started life as perl written in 1997 by a college student

      That makes sense - how can anybody complete a new feature with only fifteen years of development?

  2. side effects include Spontaneous Combustion by aapold · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...just not widely reported

    --
    "Waste not one watt!" - CZ
  3. Cave Johnson Here! by Cylix · · Score: 3, Funny

    If you've cut yourself at all in the course of these tests, you may have noticed that your blood is pure hydrogen- that's normal. We've been shooting you with an invisible micromotor that's supposed to turn blood into hydrogen, so all that means is it's working.

    --
    "You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." -- Yogi Berra
  4. Re:Where has the Oxygen gone to ? by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Two guys walk into the bar. They have both lost all their money in a bad divorce. The bartender goes to them what will you have.
    The first man goes Ill have some H20, the second man said Ill have some H20 too.
    The second man died shortly afterwards with a foaming mouth.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.