Powering Nanorobots

Mallouk, Thomas E.; A, Sen

doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0509-72

Cited by 298 publications

(257 citation statements)

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“…[1][2][3][4][5][6] Catalytic microtube engines, pioneered by Mei and Schmidt, have been shown to be extremely useful for addressing the ionic-strength limitation of bimetal catalytic nanowire motors. 1,7,8 Such bubble-propelled microengines thus display efficient propulsion in salt-rich environments due to electrocatalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide fuel.…”

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confidence: 99%

Efficient bubble propulsion of polymer-based microengines in real-life environments

et al. 2013

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Template-electrodeposited polymer/Pt microtube engines display efficient propulsion in a wide range of real-life samples ranging from seawater to human serum. Remarkably high speeds are observed in fuel-enhanced raw serum, apple juice, seawater, lake and river water samples. Our results indicate that polymer-based microengines hold considerable promise for diverse practical applications and that real samples exert different effects upon propulsion of different bubblepropelled microtube engines.Considerable efforts are currently being devoted to the design of efficient synthetic micro/nanoscale motors that convert chemical energy into autonomous motion. 1-6 Catalytic microtube engines, pioneered by Mei and Schmidt, have been shown to be extremely useful for addressing the ionic-strength limitation of bimetal catalytic nanowire motors. 1,7,8 Such bubble-propelled microengines thus display efficient propulsion in salt-rich environments due to electrocatalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide fuel. 9-11 Previous studies have also indicated the facile motion of polymer-based micromotors or rolled up microjets in various diluted (3-4 fold diluted) real-life media. 12-18 However, recent reports claimed that the movement of bubble-propelled Cu-Pt microengines is greatly hindered in various diluted real samples, and even completely stopped in highly diluted serum or seawater. 19,20 Such observations may have profound implications on the scope of future applications of microscale machines. The impeded movement in such samples has been attributed to high viscosity of these media and to co-existing molecules that passivate the catalytic Pt surface. 19,20 Since bubble-propelled microengines can be prepared by different fabrication methods and using different materials, 1 it is essential to carefully examine this important issue, in connection to other common protocols for fabricating bubble-propelled microtube engines, and to gain understanding of the effect of the motor design and composition on propulsion efficiency in different media.Here, we wish to demonstrate that template-prepared polymer/Pt microtube engines display efficient propulsion even in undiluted seawater and serum matrices, and to examine the effect of various undiluted (and slightly diluted) real-life environments upon their movement. Template electrodeposition has been shown to be particularly attractive for preparing polymer-based catalytic microengines (Fig. 1a). 10,21 Such polymer-based microengines have been shown recently to display a record-breaking speed of over 1400 body lengths per s. 21,22 The preparation conditions, particularly the electropolymerization parameters, have been shown to have a profound effect on the morphology and propulsion behavior of polymer-based microengines. 21 Such motor morphology and performance are thus greatly inuenced by the nature and concentration of the monomer and of the supporting electrolyte, as well as by the surfactant present. Such preparation conditions can be used to tailor and optimize the composition an...

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confidence: 99%

Efficient bubble propulsion of polymer-based microengines in real-life environments

et al. 2013

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“…By employing nonequilibrium reservoirs, it is expected that the efficiency of work generation can surpass standard thermodynamic bounds, as has been theoretically suggested for quantum coherent [12], quantum correlated [13,14], quantum-measurement-induced [15][16][17], and squeezed thermal reservoirs [18][19][20][21][22][23]. The realization of such engines not only extends our knowledge of finite-size, nonequilibrium, and quantum effects in thermodynamics, but could also lead to important applications in nanotechnology and in the life sciences [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Squeezed Environment Boosts Engine Performance

Millen

2017

Physics

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The efficient conversion of thermal energy to mechanical work by a heat engine is an ongoing technological challenge. Since the pioneering work of Carnot, it has been known that the efficiency of heat engines is bounded by a fundamental upper limit-the Carnot limit. Theoretical studies suggest that heat engines may be operated beyond the Carnot limit by exploiting stationary, nonequilibrium reservoirs that are characterized by a temperature as well as further parameters. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we demonstrate that the efficiency of a nanobeam heat engine coupled to squeezed thermal noise is not bounded by the standard Carnot limit. Remarkably, we also show that it is possible to design a cyclic process that allows for extraction of mechanical work from a single squeezed thermal reservoir. Our results demonstrate a qualitatively new regime of nonequilibrium thermodynamics at small scales and provide a new perspective on the design of efficient, highly miniaturized engines.

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“…[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.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Kagan¹,

Benchimol²,

Claussen³

et al. 2012

Angewandte Chemie

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Ultraschallinduzierte Verdampfung eines Perfluorkohlenwasserstoffs (PFC) in Mikrogeschossen verleiht diesen die Kraft, um Zellgewebe zu durchdringen, zu spalten und zu verformen, was nützlich sein kann für den Wirkstofftransport oder präzise Nanooperationen. Die Geschosse haben innen eine Goldschicht, die die Konjugation einer Monoschicht aus thioliertem Cysteamin (grün im Bild) ermöglicht, worauf über elektrostatische Wechselwirkungen PFC‐Tröpfchen (violette Tropfen) angebracht werden.

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Powering Nanorobots

Cited by 298 publications

References 0 publications

Efficient bubble propulsion of polymer-based microengines in real-life environments

Efficient bubble propulsion of polymer-based microengines in real-life environments

Squeezed Environment Boosts Engine Performance

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

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