Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 256802 (2008) doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.256802

Carbon nanotubes can be sent spinning by passing an electrical current through them, Steven Bailey and his colleagues at Lancaster University, UK, say.

Their calculations show that electrons passing through a nanotube with a typical 'chiral' structure, in which helical ribbons of carbon hexagons wind around the tube axis, will pick up angular momentum on the way and create a twisting torque on the tube. For a tube nested inside the sleeve of a wider one, this force should be big enough to overcome frictional resistance and drive rotation, auguring well for nanoscale drills and motors.