Wenjuan Liu

Efficient and controlled nanoscale propulsion in harsh environments requires careful design and manufacturing of nanomachines, which can harvest and translate the propelling forces with high spatial and time resolution. Here we report a new class of artificial nanomachine, named magneto-acoustic hybrid nanomotor, which displays efficient propulsion in the presence of either magnetic or acoustic fields without adding any chemical fuel. These fuel-free hybrid nanomotors, which comprise a magnetic helical structure and a concave nanorod end, are synthesized using a template-assisted electrochemical deposition process followed by segment-selective chemical etching. Dynamic switching of the propulsion mode with reversal of the movement direction and digital speed regulation are demonstrated on a single nanovehicle. These hybrid nanomotors exhibit a diverse biomimetic collective behavior, including stable aggregation, swarm motion, and swarm vortex, triggered in response to different field inputs. Such adaptive hybrid operation and controlled collective behavior hold considerable promise for designing smart nanovehicles that autonomously reconfigure their operation mode according to their mission or in response to changes in their surrounding environment or in their own performance, thus holding considerable promise for diverse practical biomedical applications of fuel-free nanomachines.

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which hosts hundreds of bacteria species, becomes the most exciting organ for the emerging microbiome research. Some of these GI microbes are hostile and cause a variety of diseases. These bacteria colonize in different segments of the GI tract dependent on the local physicochemical and biological factors. Therefore, selectively locating therapeutic or imaging agents to specific GI segments is of significant importance for studying gut microbiome and treating various GI-related diseases. Herein, we demonstrate an enteric micromotor system capable of precise positioning and controllable retention in desired segments of the GI tract. These motors, consisting of magnesium-based tubular micromotors coated with an enteric polymer layer, act as a robust nanobiotechnology tool for site-specific GI delivery. The micromotors can deliver payload to a particular location via dissolution of their enteric coating to activate their propulsion at the target site toward localized tissue penetration and retention.

The production of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has increased in capacity by almost eight fold in the past ten years due to growing demand for consumer electronics and electric-drive vehicles. The social and environmental implications of increased lithium demand is significant not only in the context of policy initiatives that are incentivizing electric vehicle adoption, but also because electric vehicle adoption is part of the vision of sustainability transitions that are being put forth in a variety of contexts. Any evidence that suggests that the externalities of the technology uptake are not being addressed would directly counter the intent of such initiatives. For LIBs to be fully sustainable, it is imperative that impacts along life cycle stages be adequately addressed, including lithium mineral extraction. This study investigates how the scope and focus of research in this area are changing and what drives their evolution. Based on a bibliometric analysis, we evaluate the state of research on the issues of lithium mineral extraction, use, and their impacts. The article identifies research hotspots and emerging research agendas by mapping the evolution of research focus and themes. Our analysis finds that research on the socio-environmental impacts of lithium extraction at local level has been very limited. We discuss some research directions to address the knowledge gaps in terms of specific research topics, methodologies, and broader system perspectives.

The highly acidic gastric environment creates a physiological barrier for using therapeutic drugs in the stomach. While proton pump inhibitors have been widely used for blocking acid-producing enzymes, this approach can cause various adverse effects. Reported herein is a new microdevice, consisting of magnesium-based micromotors which can autonomously and temporally neutralize gastric acid through efficient chemical propulsion in the gastric fluid by rapidly depleting the localized protons. Coating these micromotors with a cargo-containing pH-responsive polymer layer leads to autonomous release of the encapsulated payload upon gastric-acid neutralization by the motors. Testing in a mouse model demonstrate that these motors can safely and rapidly neutralize gastric acid and simultaneously release payload without causing noticeable acute toxicity or affecting the stomach function, and the normal stomach pH is restored within 24 h post motor administration.