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Nanomaterials
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Advances in Micro-/Nanorobotics
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Advances in Micro-/Nanorobotics

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanoelectronics, Nanosensors and Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 9287

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Fangzhi Mou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
Interests: micro-/nanorobots; responsive photonics; biomedical applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Tianlong Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
Interests: magnetic micro-/nanorobots
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Leilei Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
Interests: self-propelled micro/nanomotors; photocatalysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Micro-/nanorobots (MNRs) are capable of navigating and manipulating micro/nanoobjects in many hard-to-reach environments and have been considered to bring revolutionary changes to biomedicine, sensing, micro/nanoengineering, and environmental remediation. Over the past 20 years, impressive strides have been made in the design, preparation, motion control, and functionalization of MNRs. With the progress, many conceptual applications have also been demonstrated, including motile-targeting drug delivery, microsurgeries, micromanipulation, microenvironmental sensing, and pollutant remediation. Nevertheless, when facing practical application scenarios, current MNRs are still limited by small-scale preparation, weak driving forces, easy deactivation, difficult imaging/tracking, poor automation, low intelligence, high safety risks, simple functions, etc. Therefore, continuous scientific discovery and technological innovation are highly desired in the field.

This Special Issue of Nanomaterials will present the latest research outlining progress on the design and application of micro-/nanorobotics. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Fundamental understanding of MNRs and their interactions with surroundings;
  • Design and fabrication of MNRs with different driving mechanisms;
  • Actuation and control strategies for MNRs;
  • Automated platforms and systematization of MNRs;
  • Swarming dynamics and collective intelligence of MNRs;
  • Functionalization and applications of MNRs;
  • Smart materials and actuators;
  • Active matter and programmable materials.

This collaboration aims to promote micro-/nanorobots beyond the scope of a single discipline toward developing micro-bio-chemo-mechanical-systems for diverse applications. We sincerely invite authors to contribute original research articles and review articles covering the current state-of-the-art in this discipline.

Prof. Dr. Fangzhi Mou
Prof. Dr. Tianlong Li
Prof. Dr. Leilei Xu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • micro-/nanorobots
  • active matter
  • actuators
  • biomedical applications
  • microengineering
  • environmental remediation
  • nanofabrication
  • collective behaviors
  • biomimetics
  • machine Intelligence

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3390 KiB  
Article
Multifunctional Biotemplated Micromotors for In Situ Decontamination of Antibiotics and Heavy Metals in Soil and Groundwater
by Haohao Cui, Ke Wang, Enhui Ma and Hong Wang
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(19), 2710; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13192710 - 06 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1234
Abstract
The ubiquitous pollution by antibiotics and heavy metal ions has posed great threats to human health and the ecological environment. Therefore, we developed a self-propelled tubular micromotor based on natural fibers as an active heterogeneous catalyst for antibiotic degradation and adsorbent for heavy [...] Read more.
The ubiquitous pollution by antibiotics and heavy metal ions has posed great threats to human health and the ecological environment. Therefore, we developed a self-propelled tubular micromotor based on natural fibers as an active heterogeneous catalyst for antibiotic degradation and adsorbent for heavy metal ions in soil/water. The prepared micromotors can move in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) through a bubble recoil mechanism. The MnO2 NPs and MnFe2O4 NPs loaded on the hollow fibers not only enabled self-driven motion and magnetic control but also served as activators of peroxymononsulfate (PMS) and H2O2 to produce active free radicals SO4•− and •OH. Benefiting from the self-propulsion and bubble generation, the micromotors can effectively overcome the disadvantage of low diffusivity of traditional heterogeneous catalysts, achieving the degradation of more than 90% TC in soil within 30 min. Meanwhile, due to the large specific surface area, abundant active sites, and strong negative zeta potential, the micromotors can effectively adsorb heavy metal ions in the water environment. In 120 min, self-propelled micromotors removed more than 94% of lead ions, an increase of 47% compared to static micromotors, illustrating the advantages of on-the-fly capture. The prepared micromotors with excellent catalytic performance and adsorption capacity can simultaneously degrade antibiotics and adsorb heavy metal ions. Moreover, the magnetic response enabled the micromotors to be effectively separated from the system after completion of the task, avoiding the problem of secondary pollution. Overall, the proposed micromotors provide a new approach to the utilization of natural materials in environmental applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Micro-/Nanorobotics)
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14 pages, 5131 KiB  
Article
Visible Light-Driven Micromotors in Fuel-Free Environment with Promoted Ion Tolerance
by Huaide Jiang, Xiaoli He, Ming Yang and Chengzhi Hu
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(12), 1827; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13121827 - 08 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1487
Abstract
Light-driven electrophoretic micromotors have gained significant attention recently for applications in drug delivery, targeted therapy, biosensing, and environmental remediation. Micromotors that possess good biocompatibility and the ability to adapt to complex external environments are particularly attractive. In this study, we have fabricated visible [...] Read more.
Light-driven electrophoretic micromotors have gained significant attention recently for applications in drug delivery, targeted therapy, biosensing, and environmental remediation. Micromotors that possess good biocompatibility and the ability to adapt to complex external environments are particularly attractive. In this study, we have fabricated visible light-driven micromotors that could swim in an environment with relatively high salinity. To achieve this, we first tuned the energy bandgap of rutile TiO2 that was hydrothermally synthesized, enabling it to generate photogenerated electron-hole pairs under visible light rather than solely under UV. Next, platinum nanoparticles and polyaniline were decorated onto the surface of TiO2 microspheres to facilitate the micromotors swimming in ion-rich environments. Our micromotors exhibited electrophoretic swimming in NaCl solutions with concentrations as high as 0.1 M, achieving a velocity of 0.47 μm/s without the need for additional chemical fuels. The micromotors’ propulsion was generated solely by splitting water under visible light illumination, therefore offering several advantages over traditional micromotors, such as biocompatibility and the ability to operate in environments with high ionic strength. These results demonstrated high biocompatibility of photophoretic micromotors and high potential for practical applications in various fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Micro-/Nanorobotics)
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12 pages, 1672 KiB  
Article
Ultrasmall Fe2O3 Tubular Nanomotors: The First Example of Swarming Photocatalytic Nanomotors Operating in High-Electrolyte Media
by Lingxia Yu, Manyi Yang, Jianguo Guan and Fangzhi Mou
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(8), 1370; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13081370 - 14 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1629
Abstract
Self-propelled chemical micro/nanomotors (MNMs) have demonstrated considerable potential in targeted drug delivery, (bio)sensing, and environmental remediation due to their autonomous nature and possible intelligent self-targeting behaviors (e.g., chemotaxis and phototaxis). However, these MNMs are commonly limited by their primary propulsion mechanisms of self-electrophoresis [...] Read more.
Self-propelled chemical micro/nanomotors (MNMs) have demonstrated considerable potential in targeted drug delivery, (bio)sensing, and environmental remediation due to their autonomous nature and possible intelligent self-targeting behaviors (e.g., chemotaxis and phototaxis). However, these MNMs are commonly limited by their primary propulsion mechanisms of self-electrophoresis and electrolyte self-diffusiophoresis, making them prone to quenching in high electrolyte environments. Thus, the swarming behaviors of chemical MNMs in high-electrolyte media remain underexplored, despite their potential to enable the execution of complex tasks in high-electrolyte biological media or natural waters. In this study, we develop ultrasmall tubular nanomotors that exhibit ion-tolerant propulsions and collective behaviors. Upon vertical upward UV irradiation, the ultrasmall Fe2O3 tubular nanomotors (Fe2O3 TNMs) demonstrate positive superdiffusive photogravitaxis and can further self-organize into nanoclusters near the substrate in a reversible manner. After self-organization, the Fe2O3 TNMs exhibit a pronounced emergent behavior, allowing them to switch from random superdiffusions to ballistic motions near the substrate. Even at a high electrolyte concentration (Ce), the ultrasmall Fe2O3 TNMs retain a relatively thick electrical double layer (EDL) compared to their size, and the electroosmotic slip flow in their EDL is strong enough to propel them and induce phoretic interactions among them. As a result, the nanomotors can rapidly concentrate near the substrate and then gather into motile nanoclusters in high-electrolyte environments. This work opens a gate for designing swarming ion-tolerant chemical nanomotors and may expedite their applications in biomedicine and environmental remediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Micro-/Nanorobotics)
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Review

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20 pages, 10471 KiB  
Review
Emerging Roles of Microrobots for Enhancing the Sensitivity of Biosensors
by Xiaolong Lu, Jinhui Bao, Ying Wei, Shuting Zhang, Wenjuan Liu and Jie Wu
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(21), 2902; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13212902 - 04 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1105
Abstract
To meet the increasing needs of point-of-care testing in clinical diagnosis and daily health monitoring, numerous cutting-edge techniques have emerged to upgrade current portable biosensors with higher sensitivity, smaller size, and better intelligence. In particular, due to the controlled locomotion characteristics in the [...] Read more.
To meet the increasing needs of point-of-care testing in clinical diagnosis and daily health monitoring, numerous cutting-edge techniques have emerged to upgrade current portable biosensors with higher sensitivity, smaller size, and better intelligence. In particular, due to the controlled locomotion characteristics in the micro/nano scale, microrobots can effectively enhance the sensitivity of biosensors by disrupting conventional passive diffusion into an active enrichment during the test. In addition, microrobots are ideal to create biosensors with functions of on-demand delivery, transportation, and multi-objective detections with the capability of actively controlled motion. In this review, five types of portable biosensors and their integration with microrobots are critically introduced. Microrobots can enhance the detection signal in fluorescence intensity and surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection via the active enrichment. The existence and quantity of detection substances also affect the motion state of microrobots for the locomotion-based detection. In addition, microrobots realize the indirect detection of the bio-molecules by functionalizing their surfaces in the electrochemical current and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy detections. We pay a special focus on the roles of microrobots with active locomotion to enhance the detection performance of portable sensors. At last, perspectives and future trends of microrobots in biosensing are also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Micro-/Nanorobotics)
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19 pages, 4437 KiB  
Review
Collective Behaviors of Isotropic Micromotors: From Assembly to Reconstruction and Motion Control under External Fields
by Kai Feng, Ling Chen, Xinle Zhang, Jiang Gong, Jinping Qu and Ran Niu
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(21), 2900; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13212900 - 03 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1118
Abstract
Swarms of self-propelled micromotors can mimic the processes of natural systems and construct artificial intelligent materials to perform complex collective behaviors. Compared to self-propelled Janus micromotors, the isotropic colloid motors, also called micromotors or microswimmers, have advantages in self-assembly to form micromotor swarms, [...] Read more.
Swarms of self-propelled micromotors can mimic the processes of natural systems and construct artificial intelligent materials to perform complex collective behaviors. Compared to self-propelled Janus micromotors, the isotropic colloid motors, also called micromotors or microswimmers, have advantages in self-assembly to form micromotor swarms, which are efficient in resistance to external disturbance and the delivery of large quantity of cargos. In this minireview, we summarize the fundamental principles and interactions for the assembly of isotropic active particles to generate micromotor swarms. Recent discoveries based on either catalytic or external physical field-stimulated micromotor swarms are also presented. Then, the strategy for the reconstruction and motion control of micromotor swarms in complex environments, including narrow channels, maze, raised obstacles, and high steps/low gaps, is summarized. Finally, we outline the future directions of micromotor swarms and the remaining challenges and opportunities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Micro-/Nanorobotics)
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19 pages, 8009 KiB  
Review
Medical Imaging Technology for Micro/Nanorobots
by Xuejia Liu, Yizhan Jing, Chengxin Xu, Xiaoxiao Wang, Xiaopeng Xie, Yanhe Zhu, Lizhou Dai, Haocheng Wang, Lin Wang and Shimin Yu
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(21), 2872; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13212872 - 30 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1942
Abstract
Due to their enormous potential to be navigated through complex biological media or narrow capillaries, microrobots have demonstrated their potential in a variety of biomedical applications, such as assisted fertilization, targeted drug delivery, tissue repair, and regeneration. Numerous initial studies have been conducted [...] Read more.
Due to their enormous potential to be navigated through complex biological media or narrow capillaries, microrobots have demonstrated their potential in a variety of biomedical applications, such as assisted fertilization, targeted drug delivery, tissue repair, and regeneration. Numerous initial studies have been conducted to demonstrate the biomedical applications in test tubes and in vitro environments. Microrobots can reach human areas that are difficult to reach by existing medical devices through precise navigation. Medical imaging technology is essential for locating and tracking this small treatment machine for evaluation. This article discusses the progress of imaging in tracking the imaging of micro and nano robots in vivo and analyzes the current status of imaging technology for microrobots. The working principle and imaging parameters (temporal resolution, spatial resolution, and penetration depth) of each imaging technology are discussed in depth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Micro-/Nanorobotics)
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