Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Internal Combustion Engine

Internal Combustion Engine

The internal combustion engine is a heat engine that uses the byproducts of combustion as the working fluid instead of using a heat transfer medium to transfer heat. The combustion is done in a way that produces high-pressure combustion products that can be expanded through a turbine or piston to create work. Internal combustion engines can again be categorized into three kinds: (1) spark ignition gasoline engines, most commonly used in automobiles, (2) compression ignition diesel engines that...

Design Example: Automobile Ignition System

Design Example: Automobile Ignition System

The automobile's ignition system plays a vital role by ensuring the timely ignition of the fuel-air mixture in each cylinder. This ignition is facilitated by a spark plug, which is composed of two electrodes separated by an air gap. A spark forms across this air gap when a substantial voltage is generated between the electrodes, leading to the ignition of the fuel.
One can generate a large voltage using a car battery of 12 volts with the help of inductors. Inductors are known for opposing rapid...

Heat Engines

Heat Engines

A heat engine is a device used to extract heat from a source and then convert it into mechanical work used for various applications. For example, a steam engine on an old-style train can produce the work needed for driving the train.
Whenever we consider heat engines (and associated devices such as refrigerators and heat pumps), we do not use the standard sign convention for heat and work. For convenience, we assume that the symbols Qh, Qc, and W represent only the amounts of heat transferred...

Batteries and Fuel Cells

Batteries and Fuel Cells

A battery is a galvanic cell that is used as a source of electrical power for specific applications. Modern batteries exist in a multitude of forms to accommodate various applications, from tiny button batteries such as those that power wristwatches to the very large batteries used to supply backup energy to municipal power grids. Some batteries are designed for single-use applications and cannot be recharged (primary cells), while others are based on conveniently reversible cell reactions that...

Otto and Diesel Cycle

Otto and Diesel Cycle

An Otto engine is a four-stroke engine that uses a mixture of gasoline and air as the working fuel. The fuel is injected into the cylinder, and the piston is moved completely down so that the cylinder is at maximum volume. By moving the piston up, adiabatic compression takes place. The spark plug ignites the gasoline-air mixture, and the burning fuel adds heat to the system at a constant volume. The heated mixture expands adiabatically and gets further cooled by exhausting heat, and this cyclic...

Net Torque Calculations

Net Torque Calculations

When a mechanic tries to remove a hex nut with a wrench, it is easier if the force is applied at the farthest end of the wrench handle. The lever arm is the distance from the pivot point (the hex nut in this case) to the person’s hand. If this distance is large, the torque is higher. Only the component of the force perpendicular to the lever arm contributes to the torque. Therefore, pushing the wrench perpendicular to the lever arm is more advantageous. If multiple people apply force to rotate...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Modeling CO<sub>2</sub> Hydrogenation to Methanol on an Ensemble of Inverse ZrO<sub>2</sub> on Cu Catalytic Sites: Mechanism, Reactivity, and Deactivation.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026

Same author

Cation-Limited Hydroxide Anion Diffusion Drives Asymmetric Hydrogen Kinetics on Transition-Metal Decorated Platinum Surface.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026

Same author

A functional investigation of antibody Fc-FcRn variant binding guided by <i>in silico</i> free energy perturbation methods.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

What can Raman spectroscopy really say about the adsorbed CO on roughened Cu electrodes in CO<sub>2</sub> electroreduction conditions?

Faraday discussions·2026

Same author

A protein-based model of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase exhibits tunable covalency across cluster oxidation and ligand-bound states.

Chemical science·2026

Same author

Low-Temperature Non-Oxidative Coupling of Methane on Atomically Dispersed Titanium-Aluminum-Boron Nanopowder.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

A Rapid Method for Modeling a Variable Cycle Engine

A Rapid Method for Modeling a Variable Cycle Engine

Published on: August 13, 2019

B13+ : a photodriven molecular Wankel engine.

Jin Zhang¹, Alina P Sergeeva, Manuel Sparta

¹Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Box 951569, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569, USA. jinzhang@chem.ucla.edu

Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)

|July 11, 2012

Summary

A novel molecular Wankel motor, B(13)(+), achieves unidirectional rotation when illuminated by circularly-polarized infrared light. This controlled molecular motion occurs at high frequencies, paving the way for new nanoscale technologies.

More Related Videos

Improving the Combustion Performance of a Hybrid Rocket Engine using a Novel Fuel Grain with a Nested Helical Structure

Improving the Combustion Performance of a Hybrid Rocket Engine using a Novel Fuel Grain with a Nested Helical Structure

Published on: January 18, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 20, 2026

A Rapid Method for Modeling a Variable Cycle Engine

A Rapid Method for Modeling a Variable Cycle Engine

Published on: August 13, 2019

Improving the Combustion Performance of a Hybrid Rocket Engine using a Novel Fuel Grain with a Nested Helical Structure

Improving the Combustion Performance of a Hybrid Rocket Engine using a Novel Fuel Grain with a Nested Helical Structure

Published on: January 18, 2021

Area of Science:

Molecular machines
Nanotechnology
Physical chemistry

Background:

The development of artificial molecular machines capable of controlled motion is a key goal in nanotechnology.
Rotary molecular motors offer potential for nanoscale actuation and energy conversion.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the feasibility of driving a molecular Wankel motor using circularly-polarized infrared radiation.
To explore the rotational dynamics and frequency achievable for the dual-ring B(13)(+) structure.

Main Methods:

Computational modeling and quantum chemical calculations were employed to simulate the behavior of the B(13)(+) molecule.
The effect of circularly-polarized infrared electromagnetic radiation on the molecular structure was analyzed.

Main Results:

The dual-ring B(13)(+) structure was demonstrated to function as a molecular Wankel motor.
Illumination with circularly-polarized infrared radiation successfully induced a guided, unidirectional rotation of the outer ring.
The achieved rotational frequency was on the order of 300 GHz.

Conclusions:

Circularly-polarized infrared light can effectively drive molecular rotary motors.
The B(13)(+) system represents a promising platform for light-controlled nanoscale rotational devices.
High-frequency controlled molecular rotation opens avenues for advanced molecular machinery.