World's Smallest e-Heart Measures 5nm By 3nm - University of Birmingham

Setting up a world record two years ago, scientists from the University of Birmingham, UK have yet again created worlds smallest atomic valentine heart breaking their own previous record. Being an unofficial act the previous attempt is still the official world record.

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Image credit: University of Birmingham, Nanoscale Physics Research Laboratory

Reducing the size by almost 8nm from the 2010 model the present heart is of 5nm by 3nm. This one is way too small for naked eye and cannot be viewed even with an optical microscope, reason being that this is smaller than the visible wavelength of light.

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Image credit: University of Birmingham, Nanoscale Physics Research Laboratory

Dr. Ziyou Li, one of the coordinator explained that heart is made up of Palladium and Gold atoms, set up on an amorphous carbon layer. The nano particles were heated causing a structural transformation and resulting in the formation of heart shaped structure.

Li says “The spontaneously formed nanoparticles at room temperature tend to have irregular structures,” . “Upon heating to 200-300 °C (473-573 K), marked structure transforms occur, resulting in more ordered and regular alloyed nanoparticles.” By controlling the temperature and  order of atoms  chemical arrangement of particles can be changed. Due to this added effort produced much more stable heart then what was produced two years ago.

Nanotech is meant not only for making tiny valentine heart but success of such a project indicates its importance and ability to make many other small stuffs. Controlled transformation is one great tool in nanotechnology and has great future potential.

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