Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 22, 2026
09:48
Construction and Operation of a Light-driven Gold Nanorod Rotary Motor System
Published on: June 30, 2018
9.3K
Light-driven micro/nanomotors: from fundamentals to applications
Leilei Xu1, Fangzhi Mou, Haotian Gong
1State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China. guanjg@whut.edu.cn.
Chemical Society Reviews
|September 27, 2017
Summary
This review explores light-driven micro/nanomotors (MNMs) that convert light energy into motion for precise control. It covers design, materials, propulsion mechanisms, and future applications in various fields.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Micro/nanomotors (MNMs) offer precise control for various applications.
- Light serves as an ideal stimulus for MNM actuation due to its reversibility and wireless control.
- Developing efficient light-driven MNMs is crucial for advancing micro/nanorobotics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current state-of-the-art in light-driven micro/nanomotors (MNMs).
- To discuss design strategies, photoactive materials, and propulsion mechanisms.
- To highlight potential applications and future challenges in the field.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on light-driven MNMs.
- Analysis of design principles for asymmetric field generation.
- Categorization of photoactive materials (photocatalytic, photothermal, photochromic).
Main Results:
- Detailed illustration of propulsion mechanisms: light-induced phoretic propulsion, bubble recoil, and interfacial tension gradient.
- Discussion of motion behaviors in liquids and on surfaces.
- Summary of recent advancements in liquid crystalline elastomer-based MNMs.
Conclusions:
- Light-driven MNMs show significant potential in biomedical, environmental, and micro/nanoengineering fields.
- Overcoming current challenges is key for future development.
- Continued research will expand the capabilities and applications of these smart materials.
Related Concept Videos
00:46Motor Units
62.1K
A motor unit consists of two main components: a single efferent motor neuron (i.e., a neuron that carries impulses away from the central nervous system) and all of the muscle fibers it innervates. The motor neuron may innervate multiple muscle fibers, which are single cells, but only one motor neuron innervates a single muscle fiber.
62.1K
01:32Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins
10.9K
Eukaryotic cells have different motor proteins for transporting various cargo within the cell. These motor proteins differ based on the filament they associate with, the direction they move within the cell, and the type of cargo they transport. Motor proteins that associate with microtubules are known as microtubule-associated motor proteins. There are two families of microtubule-associated motor proteins —Kinesins and Dyneins. Both these proteins assist in the transport of cellular...
10.9K
01:43The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles
6.7K
In eukaryotic cells, cytoskeletal filaments such as actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments form a mesh-like cytoskeletal network. These filaments serve as tracks for transporting cellular cargo. Specialized motor proteins use the chemical energy stored in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for this transport. During interphase, microtubules are polarized, with the plus-end towards the cell periphery and the minus-end towards the cell center. Two microtubule-associated motor proteins,...
6.7K
01:27ATP Driven Pumps I: An Overview
10.0K
ATP-driven pumps, also known as transport ATPases, are integral membrane proteins. They have binding sites for ATP located on the membrane's cytosolic side and the ion-conducting domain in the transmembrane region. These pumps use the free energy released from ATP hydrolysis to move the solutes across cell membranes against an electrochemical gradient.
There are four main types of ATP-driven pumps - P-type, V-type, F-type, and ABC transporter. All these pumps are of varying complexities and...
There are four main types of ATP-driven pumps - P-type, V-type, F-type, and ABC transporter. All these pumps are of varying complexities and...
10.0K
01:19Electro-mechanical Systems
1.7K
Electromechanical systems are intricate configurations that effectively combine electrical and mechanical elements to achieve a desired outcome. Central to many of these systems is the DC motor, a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical motion, enabling various applications ranging from simple fans to complex robotic mechanisms.
A key component of the DC motor is the armature, a rotating circuit positioned within a magnetic field. As an electric current passes through the...
A key component of the DC motor is the armature, a rotating circuit positioned within a magnetic field. As an electric current passes through the...
1.7K
01:22Overview of Microscopy Techniques
17.1K
The early pioneers of microscopy opened a window into the invisible world of microorganisms. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes that leveraged nonvisible light, such as fluorescence microscopy that uses an ultraviolet light source and electron microscopy that uses short-wavelength electron beams. These advances significantly improved magnification, image resolution, and contrast. By comparison, the...
17.1K