A Light-Activated Explosive Micropropeller

Self-propelled micro/nanomotors possess tremendous exciting promise in diverse fields. We describe an asymmetric, fuel-free and near-infrared light-powered torpedo micromotor, which is constructed by using a porous membrane-assisted layer-by-layer sol-gel method to form silica multilayer inside the pores, following by the deposition of gold nanoparticles on one end of the pores. In the absence of chemical fuels, the high propulsion of microtorpedoes under illumination of near-infrared light is owing to the photo-thermal effect of gold clusters, generating a thermal gradient inside the microtorpedoes. The speed of microtorpedoes is dependent on the laser powers and media. More interestingly, such fuel free-powered microtorpedoes could explode triggered by higher laser power at the predefined site and thus provide a new platform for future biomedical applications.