Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yi Xing, Mengyun Zhou, Xiangmei Liu, Minghang Qiao, Liping Zhou, Tailin Xu, Xueji Zhang, Xin Du
Summary: Chemodynamic therapy (CDT), which catalyzes the production of highly toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS), has been widely used in tumor therapy. However, the effectiveness of CDT is often limited by the poor tumor penetration of current nanomaterials. In this study, bioinspired jellyfish-like carbon/manganese nanomotors (JCMNs) were designed to achieve dual-propulsion for enhanced CDT therapy. The JCMNs utilized hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and NIR light to propel themselves and improve tumor penetration and ROS generation, leading to improved CDT efficiency.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jiaoyu Ren, Pengcheng Hu, Enhui Ma, Xiaoyu Zhou, Wenjun Wang, Shaohui Zheng, Hong Wang
Summary: Low cellular uptake and lysosomal degradation are common challenges in cancer drug delivery. In this study, a novel nanomotor was developed to achieve high cell uptake rate and lysosomal escape by self-propulsion under the tumoral endogenous hydrogen peroxide. The nanomotor was constructed using calcium carbonate nanoparticles as the core and polyethyleneimine (PEI) and catalase (CAT) as the shell via layer-by-layer self-assembly technology. The nanomotor was loaded in Schiff-base hydrogel to enable local administration and slow release inside tumors. With the acidic pH and high amount of hydrogen peroxide in the tumor microenvironment, the nanomotors were released from the hydrogel system and autonomously propelled by the generated oxygen gradient. Folic acid (FA) modification on the nanomotors further enhanced the cell uptake rate. Moreover, the nanomotors efficiently escaped from lysosomes and facilitated the delivery of PTX and siRNA to their intracellular target, tubulin, resulting in tumor cell apoptosis. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated the excellent antitumor effect of the nanomotor-hydrogel system. Overall, this proposed system provides new insights into drug delivery for cancer treatment.
APPLIED MATERIALS TODAY
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yan-Ting Chen, Chia-Hung Liu, Wen-Yu Pan, Pei-Ru Jheng, Yves S. Y. Hsieh, Thierry Burnouf, Yu-Jui Fan, Chia-Che Chiang, Tzu-Yin Chen, Er-Yuan Chuang
Summary: Due to the risk associated with thrombosis, alternative techniques for antithrombotic therapy are needed. A new technique using a cotton-ball-shaped platelet-mimetic self-assembly framework has been developed. This technique enables noninvasive site-specific thrombolysis and vascular restoration. The biomimetic nanomotors show promising results in improving the efficacy of antithrombotic therapy.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Gizem Tezel, Selin Seda Timur, Filiz Kuralay, R. Neslihan Gursoy, Kezban Ulubayram, Levent Oner, Hakan Eroglu
Summary: Synthetic micro/nanomotors are novel self-propelled nano or microscale devices widely used in drug transport and gene delivery. Limited in-vivo studies exist, but supportive in-vitro data encourages researchers to further explore the maneuvering capability of these novel systems in drug delivery field.
JOURNAL OF DRUG TARGETING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zesheng Li, Hongyue Zhang, Zhiguang Wu, Qiang He
Summary: The acoustically-propelled rodlike liquid metal colloidal motors can autonomously move at high speed, actively target and internalize into cancer cells, and their photoluminance feature allows real-time monitoring.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yi Xing, Jidong Xiu, Mengyun Zhou, Tailin Xu, Meiqin Zhang, Hui Li, Xiaoyu Li, Xin Du, Tianyi Ma, Xueji Zhang
Summary: In this study, N-doped jellyfish-like mesoporous carbon nanomotors coordinated with single-atom copper (Cu-JMCNs) were designed for tumor therapy. The nanomotors catalyze H2O2 to produce toxic hydroxyl radicals for chemodynamic therapy, and can achieve self-thermophoretic motion under near-infrared light. This combination results in over 85% tumor inhibition rate in vivo.
Review
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Gongbo Li, Guijie Liu, Dingxin Leng, Xin Fang, Guanghao Li, Wenqian Wang
Summary: Compared with traditional propeller-based propulsion, underwater biomimetic robots exhibit better stability and maneuverability in harsh marine environments, particularly undulating propulsion biomimetic robots. This paper classifies existing underwater biomimetic robots and outlines their main contributions to the field. The propulsion mechanisms of underwater biomimetic undulating robots are summarized based on theoretical, numerical, and experimental studies. Future perspectives on underwater biomimetic undulating robots are also presented, filling the gaps in the existing literature.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Heping Wang, Xi Chen, Lulu Zhang, Ziwei Han, Jinxin Zheng, Yilin Qi, Weitao Zhao, Xihan Xu, Tianqi Li, Yutong Zhou, Pingping Bao, Xue Xue
Summary: A dual-fuel propelled nanomotor is developed to release nitric oxide for deep delivery in pulp tissue, effectively eliminating bacterial infection and alleviating inflammatory response. This strategy overcomes insufficient fuel concentration and promotes therapy for deep lesions.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Abhjeet S. Bhullar, Long Zhang, Nicolas Burns, Xiaolin Cheng, Peixuan Guo
Summary: Researchers have discovered and constructed a durable nanoscale bio-aperture that can regulate current at the pico-ampere scale. The aperture is made of 12 identical protein subunits and has a shutter and one-way traffic property. This discovery has important implications for nanodevices and disease diagnosis.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yi Xing, Jidong Xiu, Mengyun Zhou, Tailin Xu, Meiqin Zhang, Hui Li, Xiaoyu Li, Xin Du, Tianyi Ma, Xueji Zhang
Summary: In this study, N-doped jellyfish-like mesoporous carbon nanomotors coordinated with single-atom copper (Cu-JMCNs) were designed for cancer therapy. The Cu single atom catalyzed H2O2 into toxic hydroxyl radical (center dot OH) for chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Near infrared light triggered the self-propulsion of Cu-JMCNs, significantly improving cellular uptake and tumor penetration. In vivo experiments showed over 85% tumor inhibition rate with the combination of single-atom Cu for CDT and near-infrared light propulsion. This work sheds light on the development of advanced nanomotors with single-atom catalysts for biomedical applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sumit Mohanty, Aniruddha Paul, Pedro M. Matos, Jiena Zhang, Jakub Sikorski, Sarthak Misra
Summary: The unique pumping mechanism of cephalopods has been mimicked in an untethered microrobot called CeFlowBot, utilizing an array of vibrating bubbles to enhance propulsion. Functionalized with magnetic layers, CeFlowBots can be steered under combined magnetic and acoustic fields to navigate remote environments and perform targeted manipulation, making them useful for clinical applications such as targeted drug delivery. Additionally, an ultrasound imaging system is employed to visualize the motion of CeFlowBots in hard-to-reach environments inaccessible to optical cameras.
Article
Engineering, Marine
Artur K. Lidtke, Nicholas P. Linton, Hannah L. Wright, Stephen R. Turnock, Jon Downes
Summary: The study discusses testing of a thruster unit and propellers developed for a hybrid glider/flight-style underwater vehicle. Results show that the total efficiency of the vehicle is primarily affected by factors such as non-linear low Reynolds number effects, sudden drop of gearbox efficiency at low revolutions and applied torques, and blade deformation.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Sumayyah Naeem, Farah Naeem, Jawayria Mujtaba, Ashish Kumar Shukla, Shirsendu Mitra, Gaoshan Huang, Larisa Gulina, Polina Rudakovskaya, Jizhai Cui, Valeri Tolstoy, Dmitry Gorin, Yongfeng Mei, Alexander A. Solovev, Krishna Kanti Dey
Summary: Catalytic oxygen generation using hydrogen peroxide is a simple and clean method. Micromotors can be used for on-the-fly generation of gaseous oxygen in liquid media, providing opportunities for controlled oxygen release.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoxia Han, Zongchen Chen, Yingying Liu, Bo Song, Hui Zhang, Bin Dong
Summary: In this work, the controlled motion behavior of light-driven micro/nanomotor (MNM) consisting of ZnO microrod with decorated gold nanoparticle (AuNP) was achieved by adjusting the irradiation condition. The MNM is capable of rotating around the center, rotating around one end, rotating to a designated angle, moving in a helical or translational fashion. The movement relies on self-electrophoresis, self-thermophoresis, or their combination. This work not only sheds light on the regulation of movement behaviors of light driven MNMs but also provides new ideas for the development of MNMs with self-adaptive features.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xin Ji, Haiyuan Yang, Wen Liu, Yandong Ma, Jinpei Wu, Xiaoqing Zong, Pengfei Yuan, Xinjie Chen, Caiqi Yang, Xiaodi Li, Hongsheng Lin, Wei Xue, Jian Dai
Summary: The near-infrared laser-propelled parachute-like nanomotor loaded with miconazole nitrate enhances transdermal drug delivery for synergistic antifungal therapy by generating a thermal gradient under NIR laser irradiation, promoting fungal uptake and biofilm adhesion. Additionally, it can obliterate fungal infections and facilitate abscess ablation with negligible histological toxicity, providing a promising strategy for antifungal therapy.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Benjamin M. Tansi, Raj Kumar Manna, Oleg E. Shklyaev, Matthew L. Peris, Anna C. Balazs, Ayusman Sen
Summary: A standalone fluidic device driven by light has been developed to autonomously transport different-sized particles in opposite directions within the chamber, providing a new method for analyzing fluids containing multiple contaminants or disease agents.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fengtong Ji, Tianlong Li, Shimin Yu, Zhiguang Wu, Li Zhang
Summary: The study introduces a model to regulate the motion of a swinging flexible nanomotor driven by an oscillating magnetic field, analyzing the coupling of magnetic actuation and the swinging pattern of SFNs. The experiment demonstrates the mobility of SFNs and successfully traps a living neutrophil for in vitro transportation.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qiuhong Zhang, Yuanwen Jiang, Litong Chen, Wei Chen, Jinxing Li, Yifeng Cai, Chaoqun Ma, Wenhui Xu, Yanqing Lu, Xudong Jia, Zhenan Bao
Summary: This study demonstrates a novel smart window system with high compliance, wide tunability, and autonomous regulation, with the addition of gold nanorods enabling automatic modulation of light transmission upon temperature changes. The material's high toughness and stretchability pave the way for future applications in wearable displays or flexible window screens.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Viola Tokarova, Ayyappasamy Sudalaiyadum Perumal, Monalisha Nayak, Henry Shum, Ondrej Kaspar, Kavya Rajendran, Mahmood Mohammadi, Charles Tremblay, Eamonn A. Gaffney, Sylvain Martel, Dan V. Nicolau
Summary: Understanding the motility behavior of bacteria in confining microenvironments is crucial for various applications and the study showed that in moderate confinement, bacteria follow hydrodynamics-based predictions, while in tighter confining environments, steric interactions between bacteria and walls play a significant role in their movement, either pushing them in the same direction or leading to chaotic movement and trapping.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Raj Kumar Manna, Oleg E. Shklyaev, Anna C. Balazs
Summary: The synchronization of self-oscillating systems is crucial for various biological functions, from heart muscle contraction to slime mold organization. By modeling bioinspired materials systems, we can design shape-changing self-oscillators that communicate to synchronize temporal and spatial behavior. The interaction between the sheets and the fluid results in the formation of coupled oscillators, whose motion is synchronized in time and space.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Joshua E. Kauffman, Benjamin M. Tansi, Christopher LaSalle, Raj Kumar Manna, Oleg E. Shklyaev, Anna C. Balazs, Ayusman Sen
Summary: The system described in the article utilizes the photothermal properties of plasmonic nanoparticles to achieve directed motility and separation of larger microparticles, with the ability to relocate particle clusters and separate particles of different sizes on an inclined plane using thermal convection.
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Roberto Marchello, Marco Morandotti, Henry Shum, Marta Zoppello
Summary: The controllability of a fully three-dimensional N-link swimmer is studied in this paper. The controllability of the minimal 2-link swimmer is analyzed using techniques from Geometric Control Theory. It is found that the swimmer can move from any starting configuration and shape to any target configuration and shape by operating on the two shape variables. This result is extended to the N-link swimmer.
ACTA APPLICANDAE MATHEMATICAE
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
S. Yu, T. Li, F. Ji, S. Zhao, K. Liu, Z. Zhang, W. Zhang, Y. Mei
Summary: This paper presents a magnetic trimer-like microrobot composed of three magnetic Janus colloids with different diameters, which exhibits multimodal locomotion, reconfigurability, and contactless manipulation. The locomotion modes can be achieved by adjusting the magnetic field, enabling the microrobot to move in a 3D space and on a surface. Rapid reconfiguration of the microrobot from one mode to another can be achieved by changing the frequency and strength of the magnetic field.
MATERIALS TODAY ADVANCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhanxiang Zhang, Haocheng Wang, Hua Yang, Wenping Song, Lizhou Dai, Shimin Yu, Xuejia Liu, Tianlong Li
Summary: A highly effective contrast enhancer for accurate diagnosis is in great demand in clinics. This study introduces a new strategy using deformable and manipulatable magnetic microswarm as MRI contrast enhancer. The magnetic microswarm, composed of aggregated nanoparticles, demonstrates the ability to exhibit various behaviors and adapt to different terrains. Experimental results in an intestinal model show that the magnetic microswarm significantly enhances T-2-weighted MRI sequences.
CHEMISTRY-AN ASIAN JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yeongjun Lee, Yuxin Liu, Dae-Gyo Seo, Jin Young Oh, Yeongin Kim, Jinxing Li, Jiheong Kang, Jaemin Kim, Jaewan Mun, Amir M. Foudeh, Zhenan Bao, Tae-Woo Lee
Summary: By relaying neural signals, devices for neurorehabilitation can enhance the movement of limbs with damaged nerves. A stretchable neuromorphic implant is reported here, which restores coordinated and smooth motions in mice with neurological motor disorders, enabling activities such as kicking a ball, walking, and running. The implant generates electrophysiological signals and provides proprioceptive feedback, operating at low power and potentially inspiring the development of advanced neuromorphic devices.
NATURE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Correction
Engineering, Biomedical
Yeongjun Lee, Yuxin Liu, Dae-Gyo Seo, Jin Young Oh, Yeongin Kim, Jinxing Li, Jiheong Kang, Jaemin Kim, Jaewan Mun, Amir M. Foudeh, Zhenan Bao, Tae-Woo Lee
NATURE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Jiaxin Li, Zhanxiang Zhang, Guoqiang Xu, Haoran Sun, Lizhou Dai, Tianlong Li, Cheng-Wei Qiu
Summary: This article reports a method of rectifying diffusion-wave fields by modulating conductivity and observing nonreciprocal transport of charges. A spatiotemporal diffusion metamaterial is created experimentally, achieving mode transition and generating a direct current component.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Weiwei Zhang, Yuguo Deng, Jinhao Zhao, Tao Zhang, Xiang Zhang, Wenping Song, Lin Wang, Tianlong Li
Summary: By controlling the directional flow of protoplasm, amoeba can produce temporary pseudopods in any direction to perform important life activities. Creating robotic systems with pseudopodia to emulate environmental adaptability and tasking capabilities of natural amoeba remains challenging.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tianlong Li, Shimin Yu, Bei Sun, Yilong Li, Xinlong Wang, Yunlu Pan, Chunlei Song, Yukun Ren, Zhanxiang Zhang, Kenneth T. V. Grattan, Zhiguang Wu, Jie Zhao
Summary: Swimming microrobots guided in the circulation system have great potential in precision medicine. A new design of swimming microrobots with clawed geometry, red blood cell (RBC) membrane-camouflaged surface, and magnetically actuated retention is discussed. The microrobots showed effective magnetic propulsion and active retention even against a flow of 2.1 cm/s, indicating promising biomedical applications.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Abhrajit Laskar, Oleg E. Shklyaev, Anna C. Balazs
Summary: By modeling chemical reactions on hard surfaces and flexible sheets, the study demonstrates fluid flow, particle propulsion, and the design and motion of a novel chemical-driven active gear structure.