Dream Nanomachines

Abstract

Locomotion on the nanoscale through a fluid environment is one of the grand challenges confronting nanoscience today. The vision is to synthesize, probe, understand, and utilize a new class of motors made from nanoscale building blocks that derive on‐board or off‐board power from in‐situ chemical reactions. The generated mechanical work allows these motors to move through a fluid phase while simultaneously or sequentially performing a task or series of tasks. Such tiny machines, individually or assembled into designed architectures, might someday transport medicine in the human body, conduct operations in cells, move cargo around microfluidic chips, manage light beams, agitate liquids close to electrode surfaces, and search for and destroy toxic organic molecules in polluted water streams. Are these just “nanomachine dreams”, or “dream nanomachines”? Some very recent exciting developments suggest that a world of amazing chemically powered nanomachines will be the way the story unfolds in the not‐too‐distant future!

Low‐Dimensional, Hinged Bar‐code Metal Oxide Layers and Free‐Standing, Ordered Organic Nanostructures from Turbostratic Vanadium Oxide

“…Due to high efficiency, simplicity and versatility of their synthesis, bottom-up approaches using surfactants or micelles as the regulating structural directors or templates can be readily employed in the fabrication of low-dimensional nanostructures. Recent developments in chemical nanolocomotion have raised the intriguing possibility of assembling nanomachines with metal nanorods; [26,27] nanostructured constructs displaying any form of either flexibility of discrete compositional variations along their length are only beginning to be discovered. [28] Further scientific and technological advances in the application of low-dimensional nanostructures in functional devices depend on the ability to organize them [29] in complex one-or multi-dimensional functional architectures.…”

Ultrahigh-speed rotating nanoelectromechanical system devices assembled from nanoscale building blocks

“…Also, limited by the characteristics of natural molecular motors, the devices could not alter either their rotation or speed. Catalytic nanomotors have emerged as a new type of nanomechanical devices that convert chemical energy to mechanical motions 8,23,24 . Most of the catalytic motors have been actuated to transport biomolecules, such as proteins or bacteria 25 .…”

“…Rotary nanomotors, a type of NEMS devices, are particularly critical for advancing NEMS technology in converting electric energy into nanoscale mechanical motions for nanomachines and nanofactories 8,9 . Traditional fabrication of miniature motors requires complex design and arduous processes [10][11][12][13] .…”

Acoustic Droplet Vaporization and Propulsion of Perfluorocarbon‐Loaded Microbullets for Targeted Tissue Penetration and Deformation

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] A wide variety of chemically-powered and magnetically-propelled micro/nanoscale machines have been developed for specific biomedical applications ranging from lab-on-chip bioanalytical devices to site-specific drug delivery targeting. However, these micro/ nanomachines lack the power and biocompatibility necessary for penetrating tissue and cellular barriers, for in vivo cargo delivery and precision nanosurgery.…”