Externally Controlled Nanomachines on Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

Many machines (including nanomachines) consist of a solid support with moving parts that can undergo large amplitude motion to carry out specific tasks. In this Minireview, we will describe nanomachines that are supported on mesoporous silica nanoparticles that are typically 50-100 nanometers in diameter and have an array of open, readily accessible pores with an average width of a few nanometers. For triggering a large amplitude motion of the moving parts, we will focus primarily on external stimuli such as heat or light. As for the specific task the machines are carrying out, this Minireview will focus on the controlled release of pharmaceutically active agents in biomedical applications. We will discuss examples of how nanomachines can be used for remotely controlled cargo release and how existing machines that were originally designed to respond to internal physiological stimuli could be reconfigured to respond to external stimuli instead.