Redox Reaction Triggered Nanomotors Based on Soft-Oxometalates With High and Sustained Motility.
Front Chem 2018;
6:152. [PMID:
29780800 PMCID:
PMC5946003 DOI:
10.3389/fchem.2018.00152]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent interest in self-propulsion raises an immediate challenge in facile and single-step synthesis of active particles. Here, we address this challenge and synthesize soft oxometalate nanomotors that translate ballistically in water using the energy released in a redox reaction of hydrazine fuel with the soft-oxometalates. Our motors reach a maximum speed of 370 body lengths per second and remain motile over a period of approximately 3 days. We report measurements of the speed of a single motor as a function of the concentration of hydrazine. It is also possible to induce a transition from single-particle translation to collective motility with biomimetic bands simply by tuning the loading of the fuel. We rationalize the results from a physicochemical hydrodynamic theory. Our nanomotors may also be used for transport of catalytic materials in harsh chemical environments that would otherwise passivate the active catalyst.
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