Tubular Micro-nanorobots: Smart Design for Bio-related Applications

We designed microrobots in the form of autonomous and remotely guided microtubes. One of the challenges at small scales is the effective conversion of energy into mechanical force to overcome the high viscosity of the fluid at low Reynolds numbers. This can be achieved by integration of catalytic nano-materials and processes to decompose chemical fuels. However, up to now, mostly hydrogen peroxide has been employed as a fuel which renders the potential applications in biomedicine and in vivo experiments. Therefore, other sources of energy to achieve motion at the micro- nanoscale are highly sought-after. Here, we present different types of tubular micro- and nanorobots, alternative approaches to toxic fuels and also, steps towards the use of tubular microrobots as micro- and nanotools.

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