Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Aqueous Droplets Used as Enzymatic Microreactors and Their Electromagnetic Actuation
Published on: August 28, 2017
Lab-on-a-micromotor: catalytic Janus particles as mobile microreactors for tailored synthesis of nanoparticles
Marta Pacheco1, Beatriz Jurado-Sánchez1,2, Alberto Escarpa1,2
1Department of Analytical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , University of Alcala , E-28807 , Madrid , Spain . Email: alberto.escarpa@uah.es ;
Abstract:
Catalytic Janus micromotors encapsulating Cd2+ or citrate are used here as mobile microreactors for "on the fly" CdS quantum dot and gold nanoparticle synthesis. Micromotor navigation in microliter "reagent solutions" results in the generation of the corresponding nanoparticles inside the micromotor body with high yield and negligible waste generation. Nanoparticle generation can be attributed to convective diffusion of reagents into the moving reactor body. "On-demand" modulation of nanoparticle size and catalytic activities can be achieved by judicious control of the motion behavior of the microreactor. The use of confined reagents in connection with such enhanced movement allows for efficient operation in very low (less than 800 μL) volumes. The new microreactors developed here hold considerable promise for reactions in aqueous environments for novel synthetic schemes in different sites along with multiplexed capabilities for a myriad of catalytic reactions.
More Related Videos
08:40Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production
Published on: December 6, 2021
14:37High-throughput Synthesis of Carbohydrates and Functionalization of Polyanhydride Nanoparticles
Published on: July 6, 2012
Related Concept Videos
Transfer RNA Synthesis
Each of these chemical modifications is carried by a specific enzyme, post-transcription. All of these enzymes have unique base and site-specificity. Methylation, the most common chemical modification, is carried by at least nine different enzymes, with...
Turnover Number and Catalytic Efficiency
Chymotrypsin is a pancreatic enzyme that breaks down proteins during digestion....
Catalytically Perfect Enzymes
Most enzymes...
Subatomic Particles
Flame Photometry: Lab
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...