Slashdot Mirror


Micromotors Race About By Turning Water Into Hydrogen Gas

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."

2 of 85 comments (clear)

  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. 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.