Nanocrystals offer a unique platform for tailoring the physicochemical properties of solid
materials to enhance their performances in various applications. While most work on …

3D printing (also called “additive manufacturing” or “rapid prototyping”) is able to translate
computer-aided and designed virtual 3D models into 3D tangible constructs/objects through …

Phototaxis is commonly observed in motile photosynthetic microorganisms. For example,
green algae are capable of swimming towards a light source (positive phototaxis) to receive …

The use of tools can be traced back to the beginning of recorded history and represents a
significant step in the evolution of mankind. A machine is a tool that can perform intended …

We describe fuel-free, near-infrared (NIR)-driven Janus mesoporous silica nanoparticle
motors (JMSNMs) with diameters of 50, 80, and 120 nm. The Janus structure of the JMSNMs …

Janus particles are colloidal particles with more than a single type of surface chemistry or
composition, ranging in size from hundreds of nanometers to a few micrometers. Like …

Differently from passive Brownian particles, active particles, also known as self-propelled
Brownian particles or microswimmers and nanoswimmers, are capable of taking up energy …

A popular principle in designing chemical micromachines is to take advantage of
asymmetric chemical reactions such as the catalytic decomposition of H2O2. Contrary to …

The advent of autonomous self-propulsion has instigated research towards making colloidal
machines that can deliver mechanical work in the form of transport, and other functions such …

A bipolar electrode (BPE) is an electrically conductive material that promotes
electrochemical reactions at its extremities (poles) even in the absence of a direct ohmic …