Dream Nanomachines

TLDR

Locomotion at the nanoscale in fluid environments remains a grand challenge, but recent advances suggest chemically powered nanomachines will soon become a reality. The study envisions synthesizing, probing, understanding, and utilizing nanoscale motors powered by in‑situ chemical reactions. These motors can move through fluids while performing tasks, and could be assembled to transport medicine, operate in cells, move cargo in microfluidic chips, manipulate light, agitate liquids near electrodes, or eliminate toxic molecules from water. The authors question whether these concepts are merely dreams or actual dream nanomachines.

Abstract

Abstract Locomotion on the nanoscale through a fluid environment is one of the grand challenges confronting nanoscience today. The vision is to synthesize, probe, understand, and utilize a new class of motors made from nanoscale building blocks that derive on‐board or off‐board power from in‐situ chemical reactions. The generated mechanical work allows these motors to move through a fluid phase while simultaneously or sequentially performing a task or series of tasks. Such tiny machines, individually or assembled into designed architectures, might someday transport medicine in the human body, conduct operations in cells, move cargo around microfluidic chips, manage light beams, agitate liquids close to electrode surfaces, and search for and destroy toxic organic molecules in polluted water streams. Are these just “ nanomachine dreams ”, or “ dream nanomachines ”? Some very recent exciting developments suggest that a world of amazing chemically powered nanomachines will be the way the story unfolds in the not‐too‐distant future!