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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/123491
Enzyme-powered hollow mesoporous Janus nanomotors
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The development of synthetic nanomotors for technological applications in particular for life science and nanomedicine is a key focus of current basic research. However, it has been challenging to make active nanosystems based on biocompatible materials consuming nontoxic fuels for providing self-propulsion. Here, we fabricate self-propelled Janus nanomotors based on hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNPs), which are powered by biocatalytic reactions of three different enzymes: catalase, urease, and glucose oxidase (GOx). The active motion is characterized by a mean-square displacement (MSD) analysis of optical video recordings and confirmed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. We found that the apparent diffusion coefficient was enhanced by up to 83%. In addition, using optical tweezers, we directly measured a holding force of 64 ± 16 fN, which was necessary to counteract the effective self-propulsion force generated by a single nanomotor. The successful demonstration of biocompatible enzyme-powered active nanomotors using biologically benign fuels has a great potential for future biomedical applications.
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MA, Xing, et al. Enzyme-powered hollow mesoporous Janus nanomotors. Nano Letters. 2015. Vol. 15, num. 10, pags. 7043-7050. [consulted: 7 of October of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/123491