Descripción del proyecto
Nanorrobots nadadores autónomos autorrecargables que siguen moviéndose y funcionando en la oscuridad
Inspirándose en la naturaleza, los investigadores pueden diseñar diminutos dispositivos que captan la energía de su entorno y la transforman en movimiento, imitando a los micronadadores naturales. Sin embargo, los actuales nanonadadores fotoactivos requieren un aporte constante de energía para mantener sus funcionalidades, lo que limita su aplicabilidad en entornos específicos (por ejemplo, en condiciones de no dispersión). El equipo del proyecto PhotoSwim, financiado por el Consejo Europeo de Investigación, diseñará nanonadadores híbridos compuestos de materiales fotocatalíticos y luminiscentes. Estos materiales permitirán a los nadadores fotoactivados almacenar y emitir energía suficiente para seguir funcionando en ausencia de irradiación luminosa constante y exhibir luminiscencia a largo plazo con fines de seguimiento. Los investigadores estudiarán cómo programar la activación del movimiento de los nanonadadores en la oscuridad modulando la transferencia de energía/carga entre los componentes.
Objetivo
The realization of smart nanoswimmers capable of moving and performing desired tasks in an aqueous environment is a technological challenge due to the viscous and thermal forces exerted upon them. While various types of external stimulus can be used to activate their autonomous motion, light is the easiest to operate and most flexible, due to the opportunities that it offers for motion modulation through intensity, wavelength, and direction. However, such optical control is affected by the properties of the aqueous media, limiting the applicability of light-driven nanoswimmers to non-scattering environments. The novel approach of this project (PhotoSwim) is the design of hybrid nanoswimmers that consist not only of photocatalytic but also persistent luminescent materials in order to provide triple light-responsive, light-storage, and light-emissive properties at the material level. This project will explore the potential of these innovative photoactivated swimmers to: (1) store and emit sufficient light energy to maintain motion in the absence of external irradiation, (2) exhibit long-term luminescence for tracking purposes, (3) move and interact with their surroundings at high speeds due to efficient charge pair separation and (4) achieve a major control over their motion by wavelength tunability. The knowledge obtained will then be used to expand the applicability of these hybrid nanoswimmers in scenarios of limited light penetrability. Specifically, their capabilities to maintain their photoactivity in the presence of chemical and biological interferences, along with real-time monitoring of their location by the emitted luminescence, will be tested. In this way, the potential of advanced multi-functioning nanoswimmers to keep moving and interacting with the surroundings in scenarios where the light supply is not fully available will be demonstrated.
Ámbito científico
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringroboticsautonomous robots
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materials
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistry
- natural scienceschemical sciencesphysical chemistry
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Régimen de financiación
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsInstitución de acogida
43007 Tarragona
España