2 research outputs found
Autonomous Motion and Temperature-Controlled Drug Delivery of Mg/Pt-Poly(<i>N</i>‑isopropylacrylamide) Janus Micromotors Driven by Simulated Body Fluid and Blood Plasma
In this work, we have demonstrated
the autonomous motion of biologically-friendly
Mg/Pt-PolyÂ(<i>N</i>-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) Janus
micromotors in simulated body fluids (SBF) or blood plasma without
any other additives. The pit corrosion of chloride anions and the
buffering effect of SBF or blood plasma in removing the MgÂ(OH)<sub>2</sub> passivation layer play major roles for accelerating Mg–H<sub>2</sub>O reaction to produce hydrogen propulsion for the micromotors.
Furthermore, the Mg/Pt-PNIPAM Janus micromotors can effectively uptake,
transport, and temperature-control-release drug molecules by taking
advantage of the partial surface-attached thermoresponsive PNIPAM
hydrogel layers. The PNIPAM hydrogel layers on the micromotors can
be easily replaced with other responsive polymers or antibodies by
the surface modification strategy, suggesting that the as-proposed
micromotors also hold a promising potential for separation and detection
of heavy metal ions, toxicants, or proteins
Recommended from our members
Transient Micromotors That Disappear When No Longer Needed
Transient self-destroyed
micromotors that autonomously disappear
in biological media at controlled rates upon completing their task,
without leaving a toxic residue, are presented. The propulsion and
degradation characteristics of the self-destroyed Mg/ZnO, Mg/Si, and
Zn/Fe Janus micromotors and single-component Zn micromotors are described.
The degradation of the Janus micromotors relies on the different corrosion
rates of their core–shell components. Inductively coupled plasma
optical emission spectrometry measurements are used to probe the time-dependent
degradation of the different constituents of the micromotors. The
toxicity of the transient micromotors is discussed toward their potential
use in biomedical applications. This concept of transient micromotors
offers considerable potential for diverse practical applications in
the near future