Magnetic field driven nanowire rotation in suspension

Magnetic field driven nanowire rotation in liquids has been investigated. This approach provides a noncontact, sensitive, cost effective, and easy to scale up scenario to manipulate the motion of magnetized one-dimensional nanostructures for nanomachine and anisotropic nanomaterial development. Due to the small dimensions, viscous behavior dominates the nanowire motion. Qualitative analyses considering the competing magnetic field induced torque and resisting fluid drag torque have been conducted for nanowire rotation under different circumstances. The analyses and experimental observations can provide key information for the understanding of hydrodynamics at the nanoscale. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.