Covalent Organic Framework Barriers Implanted Nanomotors Propelled by Amplified Thermal Gradients

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Photothermal nanomotors offer precise motion control but are limited by thermal gradient dissipation.
• Developing strategies to enhance thermal gradients is crucial for improving nanomotor performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) as thermal barriers for photothermal nanomotors.
• To investigate the impact of COF thermal barriers on thermal gradients and nanomotor motion.
• To explore the therapeutic potential of COF-based nanomotors for drug delivery.

Main Methods:

• Synthesizing COFs with tailored thermal conductivity and pore structures.
• Integrating COF thermal barriers between SiO2 core and Au shell of nanomotors.
• Utilizing high-resolution photothermal microscopy to observe thermal fields and measure nanomotor speed.

Main Results:

• COF thermal barriers amplified local thermal gradients by 4-fold.
• Nanomotor speed increased by 320%, reaching up to 88 µm s⁻¹.
• COF pore engineering allowed precise control over nanomotor speed.
• COF nanomotors demonstrated enhanced tissue penetration and drug delivery for venous thrombosis.

Conclusions:

• COF thermal barriers effectively enhance photothermal nanomotor performance by amplifying thermal gradients.
• Tunable thermal conductivity and drug-loading capacity of COFs enable precise motion control and synergistic therapeutic effects.
• COF-based nanomotors show significant promise for targeted drug delivery and photothermal ablation therapies.