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Autonomous Motion of Bubble-Powered Carbonaceous Nanoflask Motors
Chang Zhou1, Changyong Gao1, Zhihua Lin1
1Key Laboratory of Microsystems and Microstructures Manufacturing, Ministry of Education, Micro/Nanotechnology Research Centre, Harbin Institute of Technology, Yi Kuang Jie 2, Harbin 150080, China.
Abstract:
We report a carbonaceous nanomotor with a characteristic flask-like hollow structure that can autonomously move under the propulsion of oxygen bubbles. The carbonaceous nanoflask (CNF) motor was fabricated by encapsulating platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) into the hollow cavity of the CNF. The internally encapsulated Pt NPs act as catalysts to decompose hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) fuel into oxygen bubbles. The generated oxygen bubbles recoil the motion of the CNF motors. Besides, the velocity of CNF motors can be controlled by adjusting the concentration of the H2O2 solution. The motion velocity increases with the increase of H2O2 concentration, up to 109.25 μm s-1 at 10% H2O2. This study provides important implications for understanding the motion behaviors of nanomotors with an internal cavity, and the self-propelled CNF motors as smart carrier systems have potential applications in the future.
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