RU2312250C2 - Molecular motor - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: nanotechnology.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to design of nanometric size motors based on one of transport systems of living cell and it can be used in nanomachines. Proposed molecular motor has rotor with fitted-on nicrotubes. Stator with secured molecules of kinesine. According to first design version, rotor and stator are made of carbon nanotubes, first carbon nanotube being coiled into ring in form of cord, and second one jackets the cord. According to other design version, third carbon nanotube is introduced additionally being inner spiral supporting cord of first carbon nanotube from inside. To improve fixing of kinasine molecules, chute of carbon nanotubes is made over rotor, said tubes being periodically jacketed by spiral of carbon nanotubes. Skeleton in form of spiral can be made of nanothread. Chute and spiral jacketing the chute can be made of nanothread.

EFFECT: reduced mass of molecular motor and higher value of specific power.

5 cl, 7 dwg

Description

The invention relates to designs of nanometer-sized engines based on one of the living cell transport systems, and can be used in nanomachines.

An analog is a molecular engine [Patent for invention: Molecular motors. US 2002/0083710, A1, Schneider, Thomas D .; Lyakhov, Ilya Gennaddiyevich; claimed 04.07.2002.], containing an internal stator with myosins fixed on its surface and an external rotor with actin fixed on its internal surface, and it also contains channels in the rotor wall for supplying adenosine triphosphoric acid - ATP as a biological fuel for the interaction of a protein pair - actin and myosin.

The disadvantage of this engine is the unevenness of the fuel supply and low specific power.

The closest technical solution adopted for the prototype is a molecular engine [Application for invention: “Molecular engine”, No. 2004134864 (037919), Igor Shestakov, Alexander Vakhrushev, priority 29.11.2004], comprising a housing, a stator, an external rotor, reservoir for adenosine triphosphoric acid - ATP, pressure and ATP concentration regulator, where kinesin and microtubule are used as a biological working pair, while kinesins - biological linear motors - are mounted on the outer surface of the stato and circumferentially in a row, and microtubules consisting of monomer globules - α-tubulin and β-tubulin, fastened in a groove on the inner surface of the rotor. The stator is a cylinder, closed on both sides with hemispherical shells, has holes in the wall for the exit of ATP, located near kinesins. A spool is installed inside the stator, which, when turning around the longitudinal axis of the stator, provides the opening and closing of the holes for the exit of ATP to kinesins. ATP feed pipe is fixed at the end of the spool.

The disadvantage of this engine is its low power density. This is primarily due to the large mass of parts of the molecular engine.

The objective of the invention is to remedy this drawback, that is, to obtain a structure with a higher value of specific power.

The problem is solved in that the proposed molecular engine contains a rotor with fixed microtubules, a stator with fixed kinesin molecules, which differs from the prototype in that in the first embodiment, the rotor and stator are made of carbon nanotubes, which in the complex are stronger than diamond and have a lower density, the first carbon the nanotube is wound into a ring in the form of a bundle, and the second, in the form of a spiral, fits this bundle. The following design is characterized in that an additional third carbon nanotube is introduced, which is an internal spiral supporting the bundle of the first carbon nanotube from the inside. For more reliable fixation of kinesin molecules, a gutter made of carbon nanotubes, periodically wrapped in a spiral of carbon nanotubes, is made on top of the rotor. Spirals can be made of nanowires. The gutter and its tight spiral can be made of nanowires.

This embodiment allows to provide a smaller mass of the molecular engine compared with the prototype and, therefore, a higher value of specific power.

The invention is illustrated by drawings. Figure 1 is a transverse section of the engine, figure 2 is a section aa of figure 1 (first design), figure 3 is a section aa of figure 1 (second design), figure 4 - stator in the longitudinal section of the engine, having in its design a trough periodically covered with carbon nanotubes, Fig. 5 is a view B of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a stator in the longitudinal section of the engine, where nanowires are used in the construction, Fig. 7 - a stator in the longitudinal section of the engine, having in its design a trough of nanowires, periodically covered with nanowires.

The molecular engine comprises a rotor 1 with fixed microtubules 2, a stator 3 with fixed kinesin molecules 4 (Fig. 1), which differs from the prototype in that in the first embodiment, the rotor and stator are made of carbon nanotubes, the first carbon nanotube 5 being wound into a ring in the form harness 6, and the second carbon nanotube 7, in the form of a spiral 8, tightens this harness (Figure 2). The following design is characterized in that an additional third carbon nanotube 9 is introduced, which is an internal spiral 10 supporting the bundle 6 of the first carbon nanotube 5 from the inside (Fig. 3). For a more reliable fixation of kinesin molecules 4 over the stator 3 of carbon nanotubes 11, a groove 12 is made periodically covered by carbon nanotubes 13 in the form of a spiral 14 (Figure 4, Figure 5). Spirals 8 and 10 in can be made of nanowires 15 and 16 (Fig.6). The gutter 12 and its tightening spiral 14 can be made of nanowires 17 and 18 (Fig.7).

The engine operates as follows. The space between the stator and the rotor is filled with adenosine triphosphoric acid, which is used as fuel by kinesin molecules. Kinesin molecules move microtubules associated with the rotor. The torque is diverted from the rotor.

Claims (5)

1. A molecular engine containing a rotor with fixed microtubules, a stator with fixed kinesin molecules, characterized in that the rotor and stator are made of carbon nanotubes, the first carbon nanotube being wound into a ring in the form of a bundle, and the second, in the form of a spiral, tightens this bundle . 2. The molecular engine according to claim 1, characterized in that an additional third carbon nanotube is introduced, which is an internal spiral supporting the first bundle of the first carbon nanotube from the inside. 3. The molecular engine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that on top of the rotor is made a gutter of carbon nanotubes periodically wrapped in a spiral of carbon nanotubes, and used to fix kinesin molecules. 4. The molecular engine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the spiral is made of nanowires. 5. The molecular engine according to claim 3, characterized in that the gutter and its tight-fitting spiral are made of nanowires.

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