Small Science (Nov 2023)

Catalytically Propelled Micro‐ and Nanoswimmers

  • Bumjin Jang,
  • Min Ye,
  • Ayoung Hong,
  • Xiaopu Wang,
  • Xianghong Liu,
  • Dohyeok Bae,
  • Josep Puigmartí Luis,
  • Salvador Pané

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/smsc.202300076
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3, no. 11
pp. n/a – n/a

Abstract

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The last decade has seen a surge of interest in the field of catalytically propelled micro‐ and nanoswimmers for their potential use in biomedical applications, such as biosensing, biopsy, targeted drug delivery, and on‐the‐fly chemistry. However, to fully utilize these devices, precise control over their motion is essential. Therefore, it is important to thoroughly understand their locomotion mechanisms. Herein, the currently accepted mechanisms for propulsion are discussed, which are self‐electrophoresis, self‐diffusiophoresis, and bubble recoil. Additionally, the concept of using multilocomotive mechanisms as a solution to achieve fully autonomous navigation is explored. Moreover, recent advances in the design of these devices are explored.

Keywords