Continuous Transport of a Nanoparticle on a Solid Surface

Long-distance transport of a nanoparticle on a solid surface remains a challenge in nanotechnology. Here we design a nanoscale motor device for continuously transporting a nanoparticle on a beam surface. The device is composed of repeated units of clamped beams on which a harmonic excitation is applied to induce a gradient in atomic density on their surface, and such atomic density consequently creates a driving force on the nanoparticle attached on the device surface. The design requirements that should be satisfied by the device attributes are analytically derived, and the effect of the device attributes on the device transport performance is discussed. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations for a typical device of a graphene sheet transported on a silver beam are conducted to verify the analytical results. The proposed design provides a starting point for continuously transporting a nanoobject on a solid surface, and has a great potential in various applications such as nanomotors and molecular assembly lines.