Bottom-up assembly of polymer-based multifunctional nanomotor

Abstract

Multifunctional nanomotors have been fabricated through the bottom-up assembly technique using polymers and nanoparticles as the basic building blocks. The shapes, structures and sizes of the resulting nanomotors can be tailored in a controllable fashion. The nanomotors can possess multiple properties through the incorporation of various molecules or nanoparticles. The nanomotors exhibit the autonomous movement based on the platinum and hydrogen peroxide catalytic reactions as well as the directed motion under the influence of an external magnetic field. In addition, a variety of functions (ranging from cargo transportation, sustained release to sensing) have been integrated into these nanomotors. Furthermore, since the fabrication of the current nanomotors does not rely on expensive equipment and is mass-producible, the multifunctional nanomotors are believed to have potential applications in various fields.