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Wang W. Open Questions of Chemically Powered Nano- and Micromotors. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:27185-27197. [PMID: 38063192 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c09223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Chemically powered nano- and micromotors are microscopic devices that convert chemical energy into motion. Interest in these motors has grown over the past 20 years because they exhibit interesting collective behaviors and have found potential uses in biomedical and environmental applications. Understanding how these motors operate both individually and collectively and how environments affect their operation is of both fundamental and applied significance. However, there are still significant gaps in our knowledge. This Perspective highlights several open questions regarding the propulsion mechanisms of, interactions among, and impact of confinements on nano- and micromotors driven by self-generated chemical gradients. These questions are based on my own experience as an experimentalist. For each open question, I describe the problem and its significance, analyze the status-quo, identify the bottleneck problem, and propose potential solutions. An underlying theme for these questions is the interplay among reaction kinetics, physicochemical distributions, and fluid flows. Unraveling this interplay requires careful measurements as well as a close collaboration between experimentalists and theoreticians/numerical experts. The interdisciplinary nature of these challenges suggests that their solutions could bring new revelations and opportunities across disciplines such as colloidal sciences, material sciences, soft matter physics, robotics, and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, 518055
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Chen X, Xu Y, Lou K, Peng Y, Zhou C, Zhang HP, Wang W. Programmable, Spatiotemporal Control of Colloidal Motion Waves via Structured Light. ACS NANO 2022; 16:12755-12766. [PMID: 35857820 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c04596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Traveling waves in a reaction-diffusion system are essential for long-range communication in living organisms and inspire biomimetic materials of similar capabilities. One recent example is the traveling motion waves among photochemically oscillating, silver (Ag)-containing colloids. Being able to manipulate these colloidal waves holds the key for potential applications. Here, we have discovered that these motion waves can be confined by light patterns and that the chemical clocks of silver particles are moved forward by reducing local light intensity. Using these discoveries as design principles, we have applied structured light technology for the precise and programmable control of colloidal motion waves, including their origins, propagation directions, paths, shapes, annihilation, frequency, and speeds. We have also used the controlled propagation of colloidal waves to guide chemical messages along a predefined path to activate a population of micromotors located far from the signal. Our demonstrated capabilities in manipulating colloidal waves in space and time offer physical insights on their operation and expand their usefulness in the fundamental study of reaction-diffusion processes. Moreover, our findings inspire biomimetic strategies for the directional transport of mass, energy, and information at micro- or even nanoscales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- Sauvage Laboratory for Smart Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yankai Xu
- School of Physics and Astronomy and Institute of Natural Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Kai Lou
- Guangzhou Kayja-Optics Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 511458, China
| | - Yixin Peng
- Sauvage Laboratory for Smart Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Chao Zhou
- Sauvage Laboratory for Smart Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
- Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - H P Zhang
- School of Physics and Astronomy and Institute of Natural Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Sauvage Laboratory for Smart Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
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Abstract
Living things in nature have evolved with unique morphologies, structures, materials, behaviors, and functions to survive in complex natural environments. Nature has inspired the design ideas, preparation methods, and applications of versatile micro/nanomotors. This review summarizes diverse nature-inspired micro/nanomotors, which can be divided into five groups: (i) natural morphology-inspired micro/nanomotors, whose shapes are designed to imitate the morphologies of plants, animals, and objects in nature. (ii) Natural structure-inspired micro/nanomotors, which use structures from plants, red blood cells, and platelet cells as components of micro/nanomotors, or directly use sperm cells and microorganisms as the engines of micro/nanomotors. (iii) Natural behavior-inspired micro/nanomotors, which are proposed to mimic natural behaviors such as motion behavior, swarm behavior, and communication behavior between individuals. (iv) Micro/nanomotors inspired by both natural morphology and behavior. Nature makes it possible for synthetic micro/nanomotors to possess interesting morphologies, novel preparation methods, new propulsion modes, innovative functions, and broad applications. The nature-inspired micro/nanomotors could provide a promising platform for various practical fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaocong Chang
- Key Laboratory of Micro-systems and Micro-Structures Manufacturing (Harbin Institute of Technology), Ministry of Education, Harbin 150001, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, China
| | - Yiwen Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, China.
| | - Bin Guo
- Key Laboratory of Micro-systems and Micro-Structures Manufacturing (Harbin Institute of Technology), Ministry of Education, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Dekai Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, China.
| | - Longqiu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, China.
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Xu F, Zhu J, Wang H, Zhang Z. Colloidal assembly manipulated by light-responsive Ag 3PO 4 nanoparticles. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:10347-10350. [PMID: 34528975 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc03997k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We report controllable assembly of polystyrene (PS) microspheres via a photocatalytically driven electroosmotic flow deriving from UV irradiation of Ag3PO4 nanoparticles in water. A series of assembly phases, including crystallites, chains and gels, are programmed by systematically modulating the UV intensity, the packing density of the PS microspheres and the concentration of the Ag3PO4 nanoparticles. Our findings demonstrate an important ability of light-responsive nanoparticles for colloidal assembly, which offers a new pathway toward effective manipulation of assembly at the microscale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Xu
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research, and Institute for Advanced Study, School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
| | - Jiao Zhu
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
| | - Huaguang Wang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
| | - Zexin Zhang
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research, and Institute for Advanced Study, School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China. .,College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
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Wang Q, Zhou C, Huang L, Wang W. "Ballistic" waves among chemically oscillating micromotors. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:8492-8495. [PMID: 34350918 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc02558a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Coordinating a group of chemically powered micromotors holds great importance in potential applications that involve a large population in a complex environment, yet information transmission at a population scale remains challenging. To this end, we demonstrate how propagating waves emerge among a population of spontaneously oscillating micromotors that dash toward a direction prescribed by their Janus orientations (termed a "ballistic" wave). Moreover, chemical communication among these micromotors enables the tuning of the speed and frequency of individual micromotors and their waves, by varying the population density or the viscosity of the medium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qizhang Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
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Zhang W, Okamoto Y, Yamamoto D, Shioi A. Energy Conversion Efficiency of a Micromotor System. CHEM LETT 2021. [DOI: 10.1246/cl.200753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Yasunao Okamoto
- Organisation for Research Initiatives and Development, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Daigo Yamamoto
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Akihisa Shioi
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
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Luan J, Wang D, Wilson DA. Leveraging synthetic particles for communication: from passive to active systems. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:21015-21033. [PMID: 33073819 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr05675h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Communication is one of the most remarkable behaviors in the living world. It is an important prerequisite for building an artificial cell which can be considered as alive. Achieving complex communicative behaviors leveraging synthetic particles will likely fill the gap between artificial vesicles and natural counterpart of cells and allow for the discovery of new therapies in medicine. In this review, we highlight recent endeavors for constructing communication with synthetic particles by revealing the principles underlying the communicative behaviors. Emergent progress using active particles to achieve communication is also discussed, which resembles the dynamic and out-of-equilibrium properties of communication in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiabin Luan
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Danni Wang
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Daniela A Wilson
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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