Catalytic microtubular jet engines self-propelled by accumulated gas bubbles

Tubular Micro/Nanomotors: Propulsion Mechanisms, Fabrication Techniques and Applications

Micro/nanomotors are self-propelled machines that can convert various energy sources into autonomous movement. With the great advances of nanotechnology, Micro/Nanomotors of various geometries have been designed and fabricated over the past few decades. Among them, the tubular Micro/Nanomotors have a unique morphology of hollow structures, which enable them to possess a strong driving force and easy surface functionalization. They are promising for environmental and biomedical applications, ranging from water remediation, sensing to active drug delivery and precise surgery. This article gives a comprehensive and clear review of tubular Micro/Nanomotors, including propulsion mechanisms, fabrication techniques and applications. In the end, we also put forward some realistic problems and speculate about corresponding methods to improve existing tubular Micro/Nanomotors.

Geometry Design, Principles and Assembly of Micromotors

Discovery of bio-inspired, self-propelled and externally-powered nano-/micro-motors, rotors and engines (micromachines) is considered a potentially revolutionary paradigm in nanoscience. Nature knows how to combine different elements together in a fluidic state for intelligent design of nano-/micro-machines, which operate by pumping, stirring, and diffusion of their internal components. Taking inspirations from nature, scientists endeavor to develop the best materials, geometries, and conditions for self-propelled motion, and to better understand their mechanisms of motion and interactions. Today, microfluidic technology offers considerable advantages for the next generation of biomimetic particles, droplets and capsules. This review summarizes recent achievements in the field of nano-/micromotors, and methods of their external control and collective behaviors, which may stimulate new ideas for a broad range of applications.

Sensitive Monitoring of Enterobacterial Contamination of Food Using Self-Propelled Janus Microsensors

Food poisoning caused by bacteria is a major cause of disease and death worldwide. Herein we describe the use of Janus micromotors as mobile sensors for the detection of toxins released by enterobacteria as indicators of food contamination. The micromotors are prepared by a Pickering emulsion approach and rely on the simultaneous encapsulation of platinum nanoparticles for enhanced bubble-propulsion and receptor-functionalized quantum dots (QDs) for selective binding with the 3-deoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid target in the endotoxin molecule. Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Salmonella enterica were used as target endotoxins, which upon interaction with the QDs induce a rapid quenching of the native fluorescence of the micromotors in a concentration-dependent manner. The micromotor assay can readily detect concentrations as low as 0.07 ng mL^-1 of endotoxin, which is far below the level considered toxic to humans (275 μg mL^-1). Micromotors have been successfully applied for the detection of Salmonella toxin in food samples in 15 min compared with several hours required by the existing Gold Standard method. Such ultrafast and reliable approach holds considerable promise for food contamination screening while awaiting the results of bacterial cultures in a myriad of food safety and security defense applications.

Chemotactic droplet swimmers in complex geometries

Chemotaxis¹ and auto-chemotaxis are key mechanisms in the dynamics of micro-organisms, e.g. in the acquisition of nutrients and in the communication between individuals, influencing the collective behaviour. However, chemical signalling and the natural environment of biological swimmers are generally complex, making them hard to access analytically. We present a well-controlled, tunable artificial model to study chemotaxis and autochemotaxis in complex geometries, using microfluidic assays of self-propelling oil droplets in an aqueous surfactant solution (Herminghaus et al 2014 Soft Matter 10 7008-22; Krüger et al 2016 Phys. Rev. Lett. 117). Droplets propel via interfacial Marangoni stresses powered by micellar solubilisation. Moreover, filled micelles act as a chemical repellent by diffusive phoretic gradient forces. We have studied these chemotactic effects in a series of microfluidic geometries, as published in Jin et al (2017 Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. 114 5089-94): first, droplets are guided along the shortest path through a maze by surfactant diffusing into the maze from the exit. Second, we let auto-chemotactic droplet swimmers pass through bifurcating microfluidic channels and record anticorrelations between the branch choices of consecutive droplets. We present an analytical Langevin model matching the experimental data. In a previously unpublished experiment, pillar arrays of variable sizes and shapes provide a convex wall interacting with the swimmer and, in the case of attachment, bending its trajectory and forcing it to revert to its own trail. We observe different behaviours based on the interplay of wall curvature and negative autochemotaxis, i.e. no attachment for highly curved interfaces, stable trapping at large pillars, and a narrow transition region where negative autochemotaxis makes the swimmers detach after a single orbit.

A Pickering Emulsion Route to Swimming Active Janus Colloids

The field of active colloids is attracting significant interest to both enable applications and allow investigations of new collective colloidal phenomena. One convenient active colloidal system that has been much studied is spherical Janus particles, where a hemispherical coating of platinum decomposes hydrogen peroxide to produce rapid motion. However, at present producing these active colloids relies on a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, which is difficult to scale and requires access to expensive equipment. In this work, it is demonstrated that Pickering emulsion masking combined with solution phase metallization can produce self-motile catalytic Janus particles. Comparison of the motion and catalytic activity with PVD colloids reveals a higher catalytic activity for a given thickness of platinum due to the particulate nature of the deposited coating. This Pickering emulsion based method will assist in producing active colloids for future applications and aid experimental research into a wide range of active colloid phenomena.

Change the Collective Behaviors of Colloidal Motors by Tuning Electrohydrodynamic Flow at the Subparticle Level

As demonstrated in biological systems, breaking the symmetry of surrounding hydrodynamic flow is the key to achieve autonomous locomotion of microscopic objects. In recent years, a variety of synthetic motors have been developed based on different propulsion mechanisms. Most work, however, focuses on the propulsion of individual motors. Here, we study the collective behaviors of colloidal dimers actuated by a perpendicularly applied AC electric field, which controls the electrohydrodynamic flow at subparticle levels. Although these motors experience strong dipolar repulsion from each other and are highly active, surprisingly, they assemble into a family of stable planar clusters with handedness. We show that this type of unusual structure arises from the contractile hydrodynamic flow around small lobes but extensile flow around the large lobes. We further reveal that the collective behavior, assembled structure, and assembly dynamics of these motors all depend on the specific directions of electrohydrodynamic flow surrounding each lobe of the dimers. By fine-tuning the surface charge asymmetry on particles and salt concentration in solution, we demonstrate the ability to control their collective behaviors on demand. This novel type of active assembly via hydrodynamic interactions has the potential to grow monodisperse clusters in a self-limiting fashion. The underlying concept revealed in this work should also apply to other types of active and asymmetric particles.

Biomimetic Platelet-Camouflaged Nanorobots for Binding and Isolation of Biological Threats

One emerging and exciting topic in robotics research is the design of micro-/nanoscale robots for biomedical operations. Unlike industrial robots that are developed primarily to automate routine and dangerous tasks, biomedical nanorobots are designed for complex, physiologically relevant environments, and tasks that involve unanticipated biological events. Here, a biologically interfaced nanorobot is reported, made of magnetic helical nanomotors cloaked with the plasma membrane of human platelets. The resulting biomimetic nanorobots possess a biological membrane coating consisting of diverse functional proteins associated with human platelets. Compared to uncoated nanomotors which experience severe biofouling effects and hence hindered propulsion in whole blood, the platelet-membrane-cloaked nanomotors disguise as human platelets and display efficient propulsion in blood over long time periods. The biointerfaced nanorobots display platelet-mimicking properties, including adhesion and binding to toxins and platelet-adhering pathogens, such as Shiga toxin and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The locomotion capacity and platelet-mimicking biological function of the biomimetic nanomotors offer efficient binding and isolation of these biological threats. The dynamic biointerfacing platform enabled by platelet-membrane cloaked nanorobots thus holds considerable promise for diverse biomedical and biodefense applications.

Steering and control of miniaturized untethered soft magnetic grippers with haptic assistance

Untethered miniature robotics have recently shown promising results in several scenarios at the microscale, such as targeted drug delivery, microassembly, and biopsy procedures. However, the vast majority of these small-scale robots have very limited manipulation capabilities, and none of the steering systems currently available enable humans to intuitively and effectively control dexterous miniaturized robots in a remote environment. In this paper, we present an innovative micro teleoperation system with haptic assistance for the intuitive steering and control of miniaturized self-folding soft magnetic grippers in 2-D space. The soft grippers can be wirelessly positioned using weak magnetic fields and opened/closed by changing their temperature. An image-guided algorithm tracks the position of the controlled miniaturized gripper in the remote environment. A haptic interface provides the human operator with compelling haptic sensations about the interaction between the gripper and the environment, as well as enables the operator to intuitively control the target position and grasping configuration of the gripper. Finally, magnetic and thermal control systems regulate the position and grasping configuration of the gripper. The viability of the proposed approach is demonstrated through two experiments involving 26 human subjects. Providing haptic stimuli elicited statistically significant improvements in the performance of the considered navigation and micromanipulation tasks. Note to Practitioners-The ability to accurately and intuitively control the motion of miniaturized grippers in remote environments can open new exciting possibilities in the fields of minimally-invasive surgery, micromanipulation, biopsy, and drug delivery. This paper presents a micro teleoperation system with haptic assistance through which a clinician can easily control the motion and open/close capability of miniaturized wireless soft grippers. It introduces the underlying autonomous magnetic and thermal control systems, their interconnection with the master haptic interface, and an extensive evaluation in two real-world scenarios: following of a predetermined trajectory, and pick-and-place of a microscopic object.

Carbon dioxide bubble-propelled microengines in carbonated water and beverages

We demonstrate a new type of gaseous fuel for rolled-up tubular Ti/Cr microengine powered by carbon dioxide microbubbles in carbonated water and brewed beverages.

Metal-Organic Framework "Swimmers" with Energy-Efficient Autonomous Motility

Placed at a water/air interface, particles of porphyrin-based MOFs (metal-organic frameworks) cut from large-area films display efficient, multiple-use autonomous motility powered by release of solvents incorporated in the MOF matrix and directionality dictated by their shapes. The particles can be refueled multiple times and can achieve speeds of ca. 200 mm·s^-1 with high kinetic energy per unit of chemical "fuel" expended (>50 μJ·g^-1). Efficiency of motion depends on the nature of the fuel used as well as the microstructure and surface wettability of the MOF surface. When multiple movers are present at the interface, they organize into "open" structures that exhibit collective, time-periodic motions.

Three-dimensional mesostructures as high-temperature growth templates, electronic cellular scaffolds, and self-propelled microrobots

Recent work demonstrates that processes of stress release in prestrained elastomeric substrates can guide the assembly of sophisticated 3D micro/nanostructures in advanced materials. Reported application examples include soft electronic components, tunable electromagnetic and optical devices, vibrational metrology platforms, and other unusual technologies, each enabled by uniquely engineered 3D architectures. A significant disadvantage of these systems is that the elastomeric substrates, while essential to the assembly process, can impose significant engineering constraints in terms of operating temperatures and levels of dimensional stability; they also prevent the realization of 3D structures in freestanding forms. Here, we introduce concepts in interfacial photopolymerization, nonlinear mechanics, and physical transfer that bypass these limitations. The results enable 3D mesostructures in fully or partially freestanding forms, with additional capabilities in integration onto nearly any class of substrate, from planar, hard inorganic materials to textured, soft biological tissues, all via mechanisms quantitatively described by theoretical modeling. Illustrations of these ideas include their use in 3D structures as frameworks for templated growth of organized lamellae from AgCl-KCl eutectics and of atomic layers of WSe₂ from vapor-phase precursors, as open-architecture electronic scaffolds for formation of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neural networks, and as catalyst supports for propulsive systems in 3D microswimmers with geometrically controlled dynamics. Taken together, these methodologies establish a set of enabling options in 3D micro/nanomanufacturing that lie outside of the scope of existing alternatives.

Wireless Light-Emitting Electrochemical Rotors

Bipolar electrochemistry has been shown to enable and control various kinds of propulsion of nonwired conducting objects: translation, rotation, and levitation. There is a very rapid development in the field of controlled motion combined with other functionalities. Here we integrate two different concepts in one system to generate wireless electrochemical motion of a specifically designed rotor and track its polarization simultaneously by electrochemical light emission. Locally produced hydrogen bubbles at the cathodic pole of the bipolar rotor are the driving force of the motion, whereas [Ru(bpy)₃]Cl₂ and tripropylamine react at the anodic extremity, thus generating an electrochemiluminescence signal with an intensity directly correlated with the orientation of the rotor arms. This allows in a straightforward way the qualitative visualization of the changing interfacial potential differences during rotation and shows for the first time that light emission can be coupled to autonomously rotating bipolar electrodes.

Nano/microvehicles for efficient delivery and (bio)sensing at the cellular level

A perspective review of recent strategies involving the use of nano/microvehicles to address the key challenges associated with delivery and (bio)sensing at the cellular level is presented. The main types and characteristics of the different nano/microvehicles used for these cellular applications are discussed, including fabrication pathways, propulsion (catalytic, magnetic, acoustic or biological) and navigation strategies, and relevant parameters affecting their propulsion performance and sensing and delivery capabilities. Thereafter, selected applications are critically discussed. An emphasis is made on enhancing the extra- and intra-cellular biosensing capabilities, fast cell internalization, rapid inter- or intra-cellular movement, efficient payload delivery and targeted on-demand controlled release in order to greatly improve the monitoring and modulation of cellular processes. A critical discussion of selected breakthrough applications illustrates how these smart multifunctional nano/microdevices operate as nano/microcarriers and sensors at the intra- and extra-cellular levels. These advances allow both the real-time biosensing of relevant targets and processes even at a single cell level, and the delivery of different cargoes (drugs, functional proteins, oligonucleotides and cells) for therapeutics, gene silencing/transfection and assisted fertilization, while overcoming challenges faced by current affinity biosensors and delivery vehicles. Key challenges for the future and the envisioned opportunities and future perspectives of this remarkably exciting field are discussed.

Biosensing Strategy for Simultaneous and Accurate Quantitative Analysis of Mycotoxins in Food Samples Using Unmodified Graphene Micromotors

A high-performance graphene-based micromotor strategy for simultaneous, fast, and reliable assessment of two highly concerning mycotoxins (fumonisin B1 (FB1) and ocratoxin A (OTA)) has successfully been developed. The assay principle is based on the selective recognition from aptamers to the target mycotoxins and further "on-the-move" fluorescence quenching of the free aptamer in the outer layer of unmodified reduced graphene (rGO; sensing layer) micromotors. Template-prepared rGO/platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) tubular micromotors were synthesized rapidly and inexpensively by the direct electrodeposition within the conical pores of a polycarbonate template membrane. The new wash-free approach offers using just 1 μL of sample, a simultaneous and rapid "on-the-fly" detection (2 min) with high sensitivity (limits of detection of 7 and 0.4 ng/mL for OTA and FB1, respectively), and high selectivity. Remarkable accuracy (E_r < 5%) during the mycotoxin determination in certified reference material as well as excellent quantitative recoveries (96-98%) during the analysis of food samples were also obtained. The excellent results obtained allow envisioning an exciting future for the development of novel applications of catalytic micromotors in unexplored fields such as food safety diagnosis.

Facile fabrication of mesoporous silica micro-jets with multi-functionalities

Self-propelled micro/nano-devices have been proved as powerful tools in various applications given their capability of both autonomous motion and on-demand task fulfilment. Tubular micro-jets stand out as an important member in the family of self-propelled micro/nano-devices and are widely explored with respect to their fabrication and functionalization. A few methods are currently available for the fabrication of tubular micro-jets, nevertheless there is still a demand to explore the fabrication of tubular micro-jets made of versatile materials and with the capability of multi-functionalization. Here, we present a facile strategy for the fabrication of mesoporous silica micro-jets (MSMJs) for tubular micromotors which can carry out multiple tasks depending on their functionalities. The synthesis of MSMJs does not require the use of any equipment, making it facile and cost-effective for future practical use. The MSMJs can be modified inside, outside or both with different kinds of metal nanoparticles, which provide these micromotors with a possibility of additional properties, such as the anti-bacterial effect by silver nanoparticles, or biochemical sensing based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) by gold nanoparticles. Because of the high porosity, high surface area and also the easy surface chemistry process, the MSMJs can be employed for the efficient removal of heavy metals in contaminated water, as well as for the controlled and active drug delivery, as two proof-of-concept examples of environmental and biomedical applications, respectively. Therefore, taking into account the new, simple and cheap method of fabrication, highly porous structure, and multiple functionalities, the mesoporous silica based micro-jets can serve as efficient tools for desired applications.

Enzymes as key features in therapeutic cell mimicry

Cell mimicry is a nature inspired concept that aims to substitute for missing or lost (sub)cellular function. This review focuses on the latest advancements in the use of enzymes in cell mimicry for encapsulated catalysis and artificial motility in synthetic bottom-up assemblies with emphasis on the biological response in cell culture or more rarely in animal models. Entities across the length scale from nano-sized enzyme mimics, sub-micron sized artificial organelles and self-propelled particles (swimmers) to micron-sized artificial cells are discussed. Although the field remains in its infancy, the primary aim of this review is to illustrate the advent of nature-mimicking artificial molecules and assemblies on their way to become a complementary alternative to their role models for diverse biomedical purposes.

Microtubular Fuel Cell with Ultrahigh Power Output per Footprint

A novel realization of microtubular direct methanol fuel cells (µDMFC) with ultrahigh power output is reported by using "rolled-up" nanotechnology. The microtube (Pt-RuO₂ -RUMT) is prepared by rolling up Ru₂ O layers coated with magnetron-sputtered Pt nanoparticles (cat-NPs). The µDMFC is fabricated by embedding the tube in a fluidic cell. The footprint of per tube is as small as 1.5 × 10^-4 cm² . A power density of ≈257 mW cm^-2 is obtained, which is three orders of magnitude higher than the present microsized DFMCs. Atomic layer deposition technique is applied to alleviate the methanol crossover as well as improve stability of the tube, sustaining electrolyte flow for days. A laminar flow driven mechanism is proposed, and the kinetics of the fuel oxidation depends on a linear-diffusion-controlled process. The electrocatalytic performance on anode and cathode is studied by scanning both sides of the tube wall as an ex situ working electrode, respectively. This prototype µDFMC is extremely interesting for integration with micro- and nanoelectronics systems.

Light-harvesting synthetic nano- and micromotors: a review

Nano- and micromotors are machines that can be made to perform specialized tasks as they propel themselves in response to certain stimuli. While the design of these self-propelling nano- and micromotors remains challenging, they have nevertheless attracted considerable research due to their many promising applications. Most self-propelled nano- and micromotors are based on the conversion of chemical energy into mechanical movement. Recently, however, the development of motors that can be propelled by light as an external stimulus has received much attention. The reason being that light is a renewable energy source that does not require any physical connection to the motor, does not usually lead to any waste products, and is easy to control. This review highlights recent progress in the development of light-harvesting synthetic motors that can be efficiently propelled and accurately controlled by exposure to light, and gives an overview of their fabrication methods, propulsion mechanisms, and practical applications.

How to Make a Fast, Efficient Bubble-Driven Micromotor: A Mechanical View

Micromotors, which can be moved at a micron scale, have special functions and can perform microscopic tasks. They have a wide range of applications in various fields with the advantages of small size and high efficiency. Both high speed and efficiency for micromotors are required in various conditions. However, the dynamical mechanism of bubble-driven micromotors movement is not clear, owing to various factors affecting the movement of micromotors. This paper reviews various factors acting on micromotor movement, and summarizes appropriate methods to improve the velocity and efficiency of bubble-driven micromotors, from a mechanical view. The dynamical factors that have significant influence on the hydrodynamic performance of micromotors could be divided into two categories: environment and geometry. Improving environment temperature and decreasing viscosity of fluid accelerate the velocity of motors. Under certain conditions, raising the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is applied. However, a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide is not applicable. In the environment of low concentration, changing the geometry of micromotors is an effective mean to improve the velocity of micromotors. Increasing semi-cone angle and reducing the ratio of length to radius for tubular and rod micromotors are propitious to increase the speed of micromotors. For Janus micromotors, reducing the mass by changing the shape into capsule and shell, and increasing the surface roughness, is applied. This review could provide references for improving the velocity and efficiency of micromotors.

Assembly of a functional and responsive microstructure by heat bonding of DNA-grafted colloidal brick

A micromachine constructed to possess various chemical and mechanical functions is one of the ultimate targets of technology. Conventional lithographic processes can be used to form complicated structures. However, they are basically limited to rigid and static structures with poor surface properties. Here, we demonstrate a novel method for assembling responsive and functional microstructures from diverse particles modified with DNA strands. The DNA strands are designed to form hairpins at room temperature and denature when heated. Structures are assembled through the simultaneous manipulation and heating of particles with "hot" optical tweezers, which incorporates the particles one by one. The flexible connection formed by DNA strands allows the responsive deformation of the structures with local controllability of the structural flexibility. We assembled a microscopic robot arm actuated by an external magnet, a hinge structure with a locally controlled connection flexibility and a three-dimensional double helix structure. The method is simple and can also be applied to build complex biological tissues from cells.

Photoinduced nanobubble-driven superfast diffusion of nanoparticles imaged by 4D electron microscopy

Dynamics of active or propulsive Brownian particles in nonequilibrium status have recently attracted great interest in many fields including artificial micro/nanoscopic motors and biological entities. Understanding of their dynamics can provide insight into the statistical properties of physical and biological systems far from equilibrium. We report the translational dynamics of photon-activated gold nanoparticles (NPs) in water imaged by liquid-cell four-dimensional electron microscopy (4D-EM) with high spatiotemporal resolution. Under excitation of femtosecond laser pulses, we observed that those NPs exhibit superfast diffusive translation with a diffusion constant four to five orders of magnitude greater than that in the absence of laser excitation. The measured diffusion constant follows a power-law dependence on the laser fluence and a linear increase with the laser repetition rate, respectively. This superfast diffusion of the NPs is induced by a strong random driving force arising from the photoinduced steam nanobubbles (NBs) near the NP surface. In contrast, the NPs exhibit a superfast ballistic translation at a short time scale down to nanoseconds. Combining with a physical model simulation, this study reveals a photoinduced NB propulsion mechanism for propulsive motion, providing physical insights into better design of light-activated artificial micro/nanomotors. The liquid-cell 4D-EM also provides the potential of studying other numerical dynamical behaviors in their native environments.

Internally/Externally Bubble-Propelled Photocatalytic Tubular Nanomotors for Efficient Water Cleaning

We describe a highly effective bubble-propelled nanomotor for the photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants in water. Two different tubular TiO₂ nanomotor systems are presented: one with Pt nanoparticles decorated on the inner surface and the other with Pt nanoparticles decorated on the outer surface. This is the first time that we have observed the autonomous movement of a tubular nanomotor without the aid of any surfactant, as well as a tubular nanomotor externally decorated with Pt propelled by oxygen bubbles. The synergy between the Pt nanoparticles and the superhydrophilic wetting behavior of the TiO₂ nanotubes endows the two nanomotor systems with high speed at very low H₂O₂ fuel concentrations without the addition of any surfactant. The efficient photodecomposition of rhodamine B demonstrates the intermixing and photocatalytic ability of the two nanomotor systems, which opens new avenues for the development of multifunctional bubble-propelled micro/nanomotors with myriad practical applications.

A Viscosity-Based Model for Bubble-Propelled Catalytic Micromotors

Micromotors have shown significant potential for diverse future applications. However, a poor understanding of the propelling mechanism hampers its further applications. In this study, an accurate mechanical model of the micromotor has been proposed by considering the geometric asymmetry and fluid viscosity based on hydrodynamic principles. The results obtained from the proposed model are in a good agreement with the experimental results. The effects of the semi-cone angle on the micromotor are re-analyzed. Furthermore, other geometric parameters, like the length-radius aspect ratio, exert great impact on the velocity. It is also observed that micromotors travel much slower in highly viscous solutions and, hence, viscosity plays an important role.

Spermatozoa as Functional Components of Robotic Microswimmers

In recent years, the combination of synthetic micro- and nanomaterials with spermatozoa as functional components has led to the development of tubular and helical spermbots - microrobotic devices with potential applications in the biomedical and nanotechnological field. Here, the initial advances in this field are discussed and the use of spermatozoa as functional parts in microdevices elaborated. Besides the potential uses of these hybrid robotic microswimmers, the obstacles along the way are discussed, with suggestions for solutions of the encountered challenges also given.

Magnetocatalytic Graphene Quantum Dots Janus Micromotors for Bacterial Endotoxin Detection

Magnetocatalytic hybrid Janus micromotors encapsulating phenylboronic acid (PABA) modified graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are described herein as ultrafast sensors for the detection of deadly bacteria endotoxins. A bottom-up approach was adopted to synthesize an oil-in-water emulsion containing the GQDs along with a high loading of platinum and iron oxide nanoparticles on one side of the Janus micromotor body. The two different "active regions" enable highly efficient propulsion in the presence of hydrogen peroxide or magnetic actuation without the addition of a chemical fuel. Fluorescence quenching was observed upon the interaction of GQDs with the target endotoxin (LPS), whereby the PABA tags acted as highly specific recognition receptors of the LPS core polysaccharide region. Such adaptive hybrid operation and highly specific detection hold considerable promise for diverse clinical, agrofood, and biological applications and integration in future lab-on-chip technology.

The Self-Propulsion of the Spherical Pt–SiO2 Janus Micro-Motor

The double-faced Janus micro-motor, which utilizes the heterogeneity between its two hemispheres to generate self-propulsion, has shown great potential in water cleaning, drug delivery in micro/nanofluidics, and provision of power for a novel micro-robot. In this paper, we focus on the self-propulsion of a platinum–silica (Pt–SiO₂) spherical Janus micro-motor (JM), which is one of the simplest micro-motors, suspended in a hydrogen peroxide solution (H₂O₂). Due to the catalytic decomposition of H₂O₂ on the Pt side, the JM is propelled by the established concentration gradient known as diffusoiphoretic motion. Furthermore, as the JM size increases to O (10 μm), oxygen molecules nucleate on the Pt surface, forming microbubbles. In this case, a fast bubble propulsion is realized by the microbubble cavitation-induced jet flow. We systematically review the results of the above two distinct mechanisms: self-diffusiophoresis and microbubble propulsion. Their typical behaviors are demonstrated, based mainly on experimental observations. The theoretical description and the numerical approach are also introduced. We show that this tiny motor, though it has a very simple structure, relies on sophisticated physical principles and can be used to fulfill many novel functions.

Chemically active colloids near osmotic-responsive walls with surface-chemistry gradients

Chemically active colloids move by creating gradients in the composition of the surrounding solution and by exploiting the differences in their interactions with the various molecular species in solution. If such particles move near boundaries, e.g. the walls of the container confining the suspension, gradients in the composition of the solution are also created along the wall. This give rise to chemi-osmosis (via the interactions of the wall with the molecular species forming the solution), which drives flows coupling back to the colloid and thus influences its motility. Employing an approximate 'point-particle' analysis, we show analytically that-owing to this kind of induced active response (chemi-osmosis) of the wall-such chemically active colloids can align with, and follow, gradients in the surface chemistry of the wall. In this sense, these artificial 'swimmers' exhibit a primitive form of thigmotaxis with the meaning of sensing the proximity of a (not necessarily discontinuous) physical change in the environment. We show that the alignment with the surface-chemistry gradient is generic for chemically active colloids as long as they exhibit motility in an unbounded fluid, i.e. this phenomenon does not depend on the exact details of the propulsion mechanism. The results are discussed in the context of simple models of chemical activity, corresponding to Janus particles with 'source' chemical reactions on one half of the surface and either 'inert' or 'sink' reactions over the other half.

Micro/Nanorobots for Biomedicine: Delivery, Surgery, Sensing, and Detoxification

Micro- and nanoscale robots that can effectively convert diverse energy sources into movement and force represent a rapidly emerging and fascinating robotics research area. Recent advances in the design, fabrication, and operation of micro/nanorobots have greatly enhanced their power, function, and versatility. The new capabilities of these tiny untethered machines indicate immense potential for a variety of biomedical applications. This article reviews recent progress and future perspectives of micro/nanorobots in biomedicine, with a special focus on their potential advantages and applications for directed drug delivery, precision surgery, medical diagnosis and detoxification. Future success of this technology, to be realized through close collaboration between robotics, medical and nanotechnology experts, should have a major impact on disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

Ionic screening and dissociation are crucial for understanding chemical self-propulsion in polar solvents

Polar solvents like water support the bulk dissociation of themselves and their solutes into ions, and the re-association of these ions into neutral molecules in a dynamic equilibrium, e.g., H₂O₂ ⇌ H⁺ + HO₂^-. Using continuum theory, we study the influence of these association-dissociation reactions on the self-propulsion of colloids driven by surface chemical reactions (chemical swimmers). We find that association-dissociation reactions should have a strong influence on swimmers' behaviour, and therefore should be included in future modelling. In particular, such bulk reactions should permit charged swimmers to propel electrophoretically even if all species involved in the surface reactions are neutral. The bulk reactions also significantly modify the predicted speed of chemical swimmers propelled by ionic currents, by up to an order of magnitude. For swimmers whose surface reactions produce both anions and cations (ionic self-diffusiophoresis), the bulk reactions produce an additional reactive screening length, analogous to the Debye length in electrostatics. This in turn leads to an inverse relationship between swimmer radius and swimming speed, which could provide an alternative explanation for recent experimental observations on Pt-polystyrene Janus swimmers [S. Ebbens et al., Phys. Rev. E: Stat., Nonlinear, Soft Matter Phys., 2012, 85, 020401]. We also use our continuum theory to investigate the effect of the Debye screening length itself, going beyond the infinitely-thin-screening-length approximation used by previous analytical theories. We identify significant departures from this limiting behaviour for micron-sized swimmers under typical experimental conditions and find that the approximation fails entirely for nanoscale swimmers.

On-Surface Locomotion of Particle Based Microrobots Using Magnetically Induced Oscillation

The low Reynolds number condition presents a fundamental constraint on designing locomotive mechanisms for microscale robots. We report on the use of an oscillating magnetic field to induce on-surface translational motion of particle based microrobots. The particle based microrobots consist of microparticles, connected in a chain-like manner using magnetic self-assembly, where the non-rigid connections between the particles provide structural flexibility for the microrobots. Following the scallop theorem, the oscillation of flexible bodies can lead to locomotion at low Reynolds numbers, similar to the beating motion of sperm flagella. We characterized the velocity profiles of the microrobots by measuring their velocities at various oscillating frequencies. We also demonstrated the directional steering capabilities of the microrobots. This work will provide insights into the use of oscillation as a viable mode of locomotion for particle based microrobots near a surface.

Smart materials on the way to theranostic nanorobots: Molecular machines and nanomotors, advanced biosensors, and intelligent vehicles for drug delivery

BACKGROUND

Theranostics, a fusion of two key parts of modern medicine - diagnostics and therapy of the organism's disorders, promises to bring the efficacy of medical treatment to a fundamentally new level and to become the basis of personalized medicine. Extrapolating today's progress in the field of smart materials to the long-run prospect, we can imagine future intelligent agents capable of performing complex analysis of different physiological factors inside the living organism and implementing a built-in program thereby triggering a series of therapeutic actions. These agents, by analogy with their macroscopic counterparts, can be called nanorobots. It is quite obscure what these devices are going to look like but they will be more or less based on today's achievements in nanobiotechnology.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

The present Review is an attempt to systematize highly diverse nanomaterials, which may potentially serve as modules for theranostic nanorobotics, e.g., nanomotors, sensing units, and payload carriers.

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS

Biocomputing-based sensing, externally actuated or chemically "fueled" autonomous movement, swarm inter-agent communication behavior are just a few inspiring examples that nanobiotechnology can offer today for construction of truly intelligent drug delivery systems.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

The progress of smart nanomaterials toward fully autonomous drug delivery nanorobots is an exciting prospect for disease treatment. Synergistic combination of the available approaches and their further development may produce intelligent drugs of unmatched functionality.

Correction: Visible-light controlled catalytic Cu2O-Au micromotors

Correction for 'Visible-light controlled catalytic Cu₂O-Au micromotors' by Dekai Zhou, et al., Nanoscale, 2017, DOI: 10.1039/c6nr08088j.

Designing Micro- and Nanoswimmers for Specific Applications

Self-propelled colloids have emerged as a new class of active matter over the past decade. These are micrometer sized colloidal objects that transduce free energy from their surroundings and convert it to directed motion. The self-propelled colloids are in many ways, the synthetic analogues of biological self-propelled units such as algae or bacteria. Although they are propelled by very different mechanisms, biological swimmers are typically powered by flagellar motion and synthetic swimmers are driven by local chemical reactions, they share a number of common features with respect to swimming behavior. They exhibit run-and-tumble like behavior, are responsive to environmental stimuli, and can even chemically interact with nearby swimmers. An understanding of self-propelled colloids could help us in understanding the complex behaviors that emerge in populations of natural microswimmers. Self-propelled colloids also offer some advantages over natural microswimmers, since the surface properties, propulsion mechanisms, and particle geometry can all be easily modified to meet specific needs.

From a more practical perspective, a number of applications, ranging from environmental remediation to targeted drug delivery, have been envisioned for these systems. These applications rely on the basic functionalities of self-propelled colloids: directional motion, sensing of the local environment, and the ability to respond to external signals. Owing to the vastly different nature of each of these applications, it becomes necessary to optimize the design choices in these colloids. There has been a significant effort to develop a range of synthetic self-propelled colloids to meet the specific conditions required for different processes. Tubular self-propelled colloids, for example, are ideal for decontamination processes, owing to their bubble propulsion mechanism, which enhances mixing in systems, but are incompatible with biological systems due to the toxic propulsion fuel and the generation of oxygen bubbles. Spherical swimmers serve as model systems to understand the fundamental aspects of the propulsion mechanism, collective behavior, response to external stimuli, etc. They are also typically the choice of shape at the nanoscale due to their ease of fabrication. More recently biohybrid swimmers have also been developed which attempt to retain the advantages of synthetic colloids while deriving their propulsion from biological swimmers such as sperm and bacteria, offering the means for biocompatible swimming. In this Account, we will summarize our effort and those of other groups, in the design and development of self-propelled colloids of different structural properties and powered by different propulsion mechanisms. We will also briefly address the applications that have been proposed and, to some extent, demonstrated for these swimmer designs.

Materials learning from life: concepts for active, adaptive and autonomous molecular systems

A broad overview of functional aspects in biological and synthetic out-of-equilibrium systems.

Autonomously propelled microscavengers for precious metal recovery

We report biogenic micromotor design consisting of porous chalky elongated tubes (∼60 μm length) coated with Fe–Pt for dual functionality i.e. metallic gold formation and rapid isolation.

Atomic Layer Deposition of Pt Nanoparticles for Microengine with Promoted Catalytic Motion

Nanoparticle-decorated tubular microengines were synthesized by a combination of rolled-up nanotechnology and atomic layer deposition. The presence of Pt nanoparticles with different sizes and distributions on the walls of microengines fabricated from bilayer nanomembranes with different materials results in promoted catalytic reaction efficiency, which leads to an ultrafast speed (the highest speed 3200 μm/s). The motion speed of the decorated microengines fits the theoretical model very well, suggesting that the larger surface area is mainly responsible for the acceleration of the motion speed. The high-speed nanoparticle-decorated microengines hold considerable promise for a variety of applications.

Catalytic Locomotion of Core-Shell Nanowire Motors

We report Au/Ru core-shell nanowire motors. These nanowires are fabricated using our previously developed electrodeposition-based technique, and their catalytic locomotion in the presence of H₂O₂ is investigated. Unlike conventional bimetallic nanowires that are self-electroosmotically propelled, our open-ended Au/Ru core-shell nanowires show both a noticeable decrease in rotational diffusivity and increase in motor speed with increasing nanowire length. Numerical modeling based on self-electroosmosis attributes decreases in rotational diffusivity to the formation of toroidal vortices at the nanowire tail, but fails to explain the speed increase with length. To reconcile this inconsistency, we propose a combined mechanism of self-diffusiophoresis and electroosmosis based on the oxygen gradient produced by catalytic shells. This mechanism successfully explains not only the speed increase of Au/Ru core-shell nanomotors with increasing length, but also the large variation in speed among Au/Ru, Au/Rh, and Rh/Au core-shell nanomotors. The possible contribution of diffusiophoresis to an otherwise well-established electroosmotic mechanism sheds light on future designs of nanomotors, at the same time highlighting the complex nature of nanoscale propulsion.

Confined Catalytic Janus Swimmers in a Crowded Channel: Geometry-Driven Rectification Transients and Directional Locking

Self-propelled Janus particles, acting as microscopic vehicles, have the potential to perform complex tasks on a microscopic scale, suitable, e.g., for environmental applications, on-chip chemical information processing, or in vivo drug delivery. Development of these smart nanodevices requires a better understanding of how synthetic swimmers move in crowded and confined environments that mimic actual biosystems, e.g., network of blood vessels. Here, the dynamics of self-propelled Janus particles interacting with catalytically passive silica beads in a narrow channel is studied both experimentally and through numerical simulations. Upon varying the area density of the silica beads and the width of the channel, active transport reveals a number of intriguing properties, which range from distinct bulk and boundary-free diffusivity at low densities, to directional "locking" and channel "unclogging" at higher densities, whereby a Janus swimmer is capable of transporting large clusters of passive particles.

Bubble-Free Propulsion of Ultrasmall Tubular Nanojets Powered by Biocatalytic Reactions

The motion of self-propelled tubular micro- and nanojets has so far been achieved by bubble propulsion, e.g., O₂ bubbles formed by catalytic decomposition of H₂O₂, which renders future biomedical applications inviable. An alternative self-propulsion mechanism for tubular engines on the nanometer scale is still missing. Here, we report the fabrication and characterization of bubble-free propelled tubular nanojets (as small as 220 nm diameter), powered by an enzyme-triggered biocatalytic reaction using urea as fuel. We studied the translational and rotational dynamics of the nanojets as functions of the length and location of the enzymes. Introducing tracer nanoparticles into the system, we demonstrated the presence of an internal flow that extends into the external fluid via the cavity opening, leading to the self-propulsion. One-dimensional nanosize, longitudinal self-propulsion, and biocompatibility make the tubular nanojets promising for future biomedical applications.

Light-Induced Motion of Microengines Based on Microarrays of TiO2 Nanotubes

An electrochemical approach for manufacturing light-driven nanostructured titanium dioxide (TiO₂ ) microengines with controlled spatial architecture for improved performance is reported. The microengines based on microscale arrays of TiO₂ nanotubes with variable (50-120 nm) inner diameter show a quasi-ordered arrangement of nanotubes, being the smallest tubular entities for catalytic microengines reported to date. The nanotubes exhibit well defined crystalline phases depending upon the postfabrication annealing conditions that determine the microengines' efficiency. When exposed to UV-light, the microarrays of TiO₂ nanotubes exhibiting conical internal shapes show directed motion in confined space, both in the presence and absence of hydrogen peroxide. In the former case, two different motion patterns related to diffusiophoresis and localized nanobubble generation inside of the tubes due to the photocatalytic decomposition of H₂ O₂ are disclosed. Controlled pick-up, transport, and release of individual and agglomerated particles are demonstrated using the UV light irradiation of microengines. The obtained results show that light-driven microengines based on microarrays of TiO₂ nanotubes represent a promising platform for controlled micro/nanoscale sample transportation in fluids as well as for environmental applications, in particular, for the enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants due to the improved intermixing taking place during the motion of TiO₂ microengines.

Versatile microrobotics using simple modular subunits

The realization of reconfigurable modular microrobots could aid drug delivery and microsurgery by allowing a single system to navigate diverse environments and perform multiple tasks. So far, microrobotic systems are limited by insufficient versatility; for instance, helical shapes commonly used for magnetic swimmers cannot effectively assemble and disassemble into different size and shapes. Here by using microswimmers with simple geometries constructed of spherical particles, we show how magnetohydrodynamics can be used to assemble and disassemble modular microrobots with different physical characteristics. We develop a mechanistic physical model that we use to improve assembly strategies. Furthermore, we experimentally demonstrate the feasibility of dynamically changing the physical properties of microswimmers through assembly and disassembly in a controlled fluidic environment. Finally, we show that different configurations have different swimming properties by examining swimming speed dependence on configuration size.

Rocket Science at the Nanoscale

Autonomous propulsion at the nanoscale represents one of the most challenging and demanding goals in nanotechnology. Over the past decade, numerous important advances in nanotechnology and material science have contributed to the creation of powerful self-propelled micro/nanomotors. In particular, micro- and nanoscale rockets (MNRs) offer impressive capabilities, including remarkable speeds, large cargo-towing forces, precise motion controls, and dynamic self-assembly, which have paved the way for designing multifunctional and intelligent nanoscale machines. These multipurpose nanoscale shuttles can propel and function in complex real-life media, actively transporting and releasing therapeutic payloads and remediation agents for diverse biomedical and environmental applications. This review discusses the challenges of designing efficient MNRs and presents an overview of their propulsion behavior, fabrication methods, potential rocket fuels, navigation strategies, practical applications, and the future prospects of rocket science and technology at the nanoscale.