Molecule gears up

Researchers construct a tiny version of the most basic component of a machine.

A single snowflake-shaped molecule atop a gold sheet can turn like a gear. By building this most basic component of a machine, researchers reporting in an upcoming Nature Materials have created a building block for complex miniature devices.

MOLECULAR GEAR To create a gear, researchers pushed a single snowflake-shaped molecule onto a defect in a gold sheet and turned it with a gentle nudge.