Micromotors with Spontaneous Multipattern Motion and Microvortex for Enhanced “On‐the‐Fly” Molecule Enrichment

Abstract

“On‐the‐fly” molecule enrichment by micro/nanomotors obviously improves heterogeneous catalysis, trace detection, and environmental monitoring, yet faces challenges of the trade‐off between collection range and interaction time. Inspired by the versatile foraging process of predators, this work demonstrates that micromotors doing spontaneous multipattern motion with microvortex can greatly enhance “on‐the‐fly” enrichment, demonstrated by highly sensitive surface‐enhanced Raman scattering detection. It leverages an axis‐asymmetric bowl‐shaped structure and the nonlinear Ag–AgCl reaction, realizing alternating low‐velocity swinging forward and accelerated steering motions for prolonged interaction and large work area. Moreover, the bowl‐shaped microstructure bestows a micro‐vortex above the Ag side due to the competition of electric potential and pressure gradient, also extending interaction time during the acceleration. Consequently, it exhibits at least an order of magnitude larger enhancement of detection signals than the counterparts. This proof‐of‐concept study highlights the significance of motion mode and structure design in guiding flow field, offering substantial benefits for applications.

Nano/Micromotors for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy: Innovative Designs to Improve Biocompatibility

“…Different wavelengths of electromagnetic waves, ranging from ultraviolet (UV) to visible (VIS) to near-infrared (NIR) light [ 79 , 80 , 81 ], as well as X-rays [ 82 ], have been used for nano/micromotor propulsion. In addition, materials such as Ag 3 PO 4 [ 83 ], BiVO 4 [ 84 ], Ag [ 85 ], Cu@MoS 2 [ 86 ], carbon nitride (f-C 3 N 4 ) [ 87 ], TiO 2 [ 88 ], BiOI/AgI/Fe 3 O 4 /Au [ 89 ], ZnO/Pt [ 90 ], and Cu 2 O@CdSe [ 91 ] have been smartly designed and utilized for the construction of nano/micromotors driven by electromagnetic waves. The mechanism behind such propulsion is usually complex and can include electrophoretic and diffusiophoretic effects or the generation of an interfacial tension or temperature gradient [ 77 , 80 , 92 ].…”

The Model Study of Phase-Transitional Magnetic-Driven Micromotors for Sealing Gastric Perforation via Mg-Based Micropower Traction

“…Recent advancements in micro/nanomotors have rapidly progressed [12,13], finding extensive application in the field of biomedicine [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. These motors hold significant promise in various applications such as thrombus clearance in blood vessels [26,27] and facilitating minimally invasive surgeries [28][29][30].…”

Rapid purification and enrichment of viral particles using self-propelled micromotors

“…[19][20][21][22][23] Compared to passive substrates that rely on free diffusion or convection, the motion of a micromotor can significantly improve the mass transfer speed and achieve efficient mixing. 24,25 Various biological receptors, such as nucleic acids, aptamers and proteins, have been functionalized on the surface of micromotors to realize biosensing and bioseparation. 26 For example, antibody-modified micromotors have been demonstrated to capture and isolate target biomolecules and rare cells.…”