An intercommunicated nanosystem for dual delivery.

Here, we describe the design of a novel particle-to-particle intercommunicated nanosystem for dual delivery, triggered by physical and chemical inputs. The nanosystem was composed of an Au-mesoporous silica Janus nanoparticle loaded with paracetamol, mechanized with light-sensitive supramolecular gates at the mesoporous face and functionalized on the metal surface with the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. The second component was a mesoporous silica nanoparticle loaded with rhodamine B and gated with thiol-sensitive ensembles. Upon irradiation of this nanosystem with a near-UV light laser, an analgesic drug was released from the Janus nanomachine due to disassembling of the photosensitive gating mechanism. Further addition of N-acetylthiocholine leads to the enzymatic production of thiocholine at the Janus nanomachine, thus acting as a "chemical messenger" causing the disruption of the gating mechanism at the second mesoporous silica nanoparticle with the subsequent dye release.

Electrochemical aptasensor based on anisotropically modified (Janus-type) gold nanoparticles for determination of C-reactive protein.

Novel Janus nanoparticles based on Au colloids anisotropically modified with polyamidoamine dendrons were prepared though a masking/toposelective modification approach. These nanomaterials were further functionalized with horseradish peroxidase on the dendritic face and provided on the opposite metal surface with a ssDNA aptamer for C-reactive protein (CRP). The resulting nanoparticles were employed as biorecognition/signaling elements to construct an amperometric aptasensor with sandwich-type architecture for the specific detection of this cardiac biomarker. To do this, screen-printed carbon electrodes modified with electrodeposited Au nanoparticles and functionalized with anti-CRP aptamers were used as transduction interface. The aptasensor was employed for the amperometric detection of CRP (working potential: - 200 mV vs pseudo-Ag/AgCl) in the broad range from 10 pg·mL-1 to 1.0 ng·mL-1 with a detection limit of 3.1 pg·mL-1. This electroanalytical device also showed good specificity, reproducibility (RSD = 9.8%, n = 10), and stability and was useful to quantify CRP in reconstituted human serum samples, with a RSD of 13.3%.

An enzyme-controlled mesoporous nanomachine for triple-responsive delivery.

The construction of a novel enzyme-controlled nanomachine with multiple release mechanisms for on-command delivery is described. This nanodevice was assembled by modifying mesoporous silica nanoparticles with 2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)phenyl 4-aminobenzoate moieties, and further capped with ß-cyclodextrin-modified glucose oxidase neoglycoenzyme. The device released the encapsulated payload in the presence of H2O2 and acidic media. The use of glucose as an input chemical signal also triggered cargo release through the enzymatic production of gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide, and the subsequent disruption of the gating mechanism at the mesoporous surface. The nanodevice was successfully employed for the enzyme-controlled release of doxorubicin in HeLa cancer cells.

Supramolecular Enzymatic Labeling for Aptamer Switch-Based Electrochemical Biosensor.

Here we report a novel labeling strategy for electrochemical aptasensors based on enzymatic marking via supramolecular host-guest interactions. This approach relies on the use of an adamantane-modified target-responsive hairpin DNA aptamer as an affinity bioreceptor, and a neoglycoconjugate of ß-cyclodextin (CD) covalently attached to a redox enzyme as a labeling element. As a proof of concept, an amperometric aptasensor for a carcinoembryonic antigen was assembled on screen-printed carbon electrodes modified with electrodeposited fern-like gold nanoparticles/graphene oxide and, by using a horseradish peroxidase-CD neoglycoenzyme as a biocatalytic redox label. This aptasensor was able to detect the biomarker in the concentration range from 10 pg/mL to 1 ng/mL with a high selectivity and a low detection limit of 3.1 pg/mL in human serum samples.

Micromotor-in-Sponge Platform for Multicycle Large-Volume Degradation of Organic Pollutants.

The presence of organic pollutants in the environment is a global threat to human health and ecosystems due to their bioaccumulation and long-term persistence. Hereby a micromotor-in-sponge concept is presented that aims not only at pollutant removal, but towards an efficient in situ degradation by exploiting the synergy between the sponge hydrophobic nature and the rapid pollutant degradation promoted by the cobalt-ferrite (CFO) micromotors embedded at the sponge's core. Such a platform allows the use of extremely low fuel concentration (0.13% H2 O2 ), as well as its reusability and easy recovery. Moreover, the authors demonstrate an efficient multicycle pollutant degradation and treatment of large volumes (1 L in 15 min) by using multiple sponges. Such a fast degradation process is due to the CFO bubble-propulsion motion mechanism, which induces both an enhanced fluid mixing within the sponge and an outward flow that allows a rapid fluid exchange. Also, the magnetic control of the system is demonstrated, guiding the sponge position during the degradation process. The micromotor-in-sponge configuration can be extrapolated to other catalytic micromotors, establishing an alternative platform for an easier implementation and recovery of micromotors in real environmental applications.

A glutathione disulfide-sensitive Janus nanomachine controlled by an enzymatic AND logic gate for smart delivery.

This work describes the assembly of a novel enzyme-controlled nanomachine operated through an AND Boolean logic gate for on-command delivery. The nanodevice was constructed on Au-mesoporous silica Janus nanoparticles capped with a thiol-sensitive gate-like molecular ensemble on the mesoporous face and functionalized with glutathione reductase on the gold face. This autonomous nanomachine employed NADPH and glutathione disulfide as input chemical signals, leading to the enzymatic production of reduced glutathione that causes the disruption of the gating mechanism on the mesoporous face and the consequent payload release as an output signal. The nanodevice was successfully used for the autonomous release of doxorubicin in HeLa cancer cells and RAW 264.7 macrophage cells.

Sucrose-Responsive Intercommunicated Janus Nanoparticles Network.

Inspired by biological systems, the development of artificial nanoscale materials that communicate over a short distance is still at its early stages. This work shows a new example of a cooperating system with intercommunicated devices at the nanoscale. The system is based on the new sucrose-responsive Janus gold-mesoporous silica (Janus Au-MS) nanoparticles network with two enzyme-powered nanodevices. These nanodevices involve two enzymatic processes based on invertase and glucose oxidase, which are anchored on the Au surfaces of different Janus Au-MS nanoparticles, and N-acetyl-L-cysteine and [Ru(bpy)3]2+ loaded as chemical messengers, respectively. Sucrose acts as the INPUT, triggering the sequential delivery of two different cargoes through the enzymatic control. Nanoscale communication using abiotic nanodevices is a developing potential research field and may prompt several applications in different disciplines, such as nanomedicine.

Swarming behavior and in vivo monitoring of enzymatic nanomotors within the bladder.

Enzyme-powered nanomotors are an exciting technology for biomedical applications due to their ability to navigate within biological environments using endogenous fuels. However, limited studies into their collective behavior and demonstrations of tracking enzyme nanomotors in vivo have hindered progress toward their clinical translation. Here, we report the swarming behavior of urease-powered nanomotors and its tracking using positron emission tomography (PET), both in vitro and in vivo. For that, mesoporous silica nanoparticles containing urease enzymes and gold nanoparticles were used as nanomotors. To image them, nanomotors were radiolabeled with either 124I on gold nanoparticles or 18F-labeled prosthetic group to urease. In vitro experiments showed enhanced fluid mixing and collective migration of nanomotors, demonstrating higher capability to swim across complex paths inside microfabricated phantoms, compared with inactive nanomotors. In vivo intravenous administration in mice confirmed their biocompatibility at the administered dose and the suitability of PET to quantitatively track nanomotors in vivo. Furthermore, nanomotors were administered directly into the bladder of mice by intravesical injection. When injected with the fuel, urea, a homogeneous distribution was observed even after the entrance of fresh urine. By contrast, control experiments using nonmotile nanomotors (i.e., without fuel or without urease) resulted in sustained phase separation, indicating that the nanomotors' self-propulsion promotes convection and mixing in living reservoirs. Active collective dynamics, together with the medical imaging tracking, constitute a key milestone and a step forward in the field of biomedical nanorobotics, paving the way toward their use in theranostic applications.

Drug-Free Enzyme-Based Bactericidal Nanomotors against Pathogenic Bacteria.

The low efficacy of current conventional treatments for bacterial infections increases mortality rates worldwide. To alleviate this global health problem, we propose drug-free enzyme-based nanomotors for the treatment of bacterial urinary-tract infections. We develop nanomotors consisting of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) that were functionalized with either urease (U-MSNPs), lysozyme (L-MSNPs), or urease and lysozyme (M-MSNPs), and use them against nonpathogenic planktonic Escherichia coli. U-MSNPs exhibited the highest bactericidal activity due to biocatalysis of urea into NaHCO3 and NH3, which also propels U-MSNPs. In addition, U-MSNPs in concentrations above 200 µg/mL were capable of successfully reducing 60% of the biofilm biomass of a uropathogenic E. coli strain. This study thus provides a proof-of-concept, demonstrating that enzyme-based nanomotors are capable of fighting infectious diseases. This approach could potentially be extended to other kinds of diseases by selecting appropriate biomolecules.

Micro- and Nanomotors as Active Environmental Microcleaners and Sensors.

The quest to provide clean water to the entire population has led to a tremendous boost in the development of environmental nanotechnology. Toward this end, micro/nanomotors are emerging as attractive tools to improve the removal of various pollutants. The micro/nanomotors either are designed with functional materials in their structure or are modified to target pollutants. The active motion of these motors improves the mixing and mass transfer, greatly enhancing the rate of various remediation processes. Their motion can also be used as an indicator of the presence of a pollutant for sensing purposes. In this Perspective, we discuss different chemical aspects of micromotors mediated environmental cleanup and sensing strategies along with their scalability, reuse, and cost associated challenges.

Metal-Oxide-Based Microjets for the Simultaneous Removal of Organic Pollutants and Heavy Metals.

Water contamination from industrial and anthropogenic activities is nowadays a major issue in many countries worldwide. To address this problem, efficient water treatment technologies are required. Recent efforts have focused on the development of self-propelled micromotors that provide enhanced micromixing and mass transfer by the transportation of reactive species, resulting in higher decontamination rates. However, a real application of these micromotors is still limited due to the high cost associated to their fabrication process. Here, we present Fe2O3-decorated SiO2/MnO2 microjets for the simultaneous removal of industrial organic pollutants and heavy metals present in wastewater. These microjets were synthesized by low-cost and scalable methods. They exhibit an average speed of 485 ± 32 µm s-1 (∼28 body length per s) at 7% H2O2, which is the highest reported for MnO2-based tubular micromotors. Furthermore, the photocatalytic and adsorbent properties of the microjets enable the efficient degradation of organic pollutants, such as tetracycline and rhodamine B under visible light irradiation, as well as the removal of heavy metal ions, such as Cd2+ and Pb2+.

Medical Imaging for the Tracking of Micromotors.

Micro/nanomotors are useful tools for several biomedical applications, including targeted drug delivery and minimally invasive microsurgeries. However, major challenges such as in vivo imaging need to be addressed before they can be safely applied on a living body. Here, we show that positron emission tomography (PET), a molecular imaging technique widely used in medical imaging, can also be used to track a large population of tubular Au/PEDOT/Pt micromotors. Chemisorption of an iodine isotope onto the micromotor's Au surface rendered them detectable by PET, and we could track their movements in a tubular phantom over time frames of up to 15 min. In a second set of experiments, micromotors and the bubbles released during self-propulsion were optically tracked by video imaging and bright-field microscopy. The results from direct optical tracking agreed with those from PET tracking, demonstrating that PET is a suitable technique for the imaging of large populations of active micromotors in opaque environments, thus opening opportunities for the use of this mature imaging technology for the in vivo localization of artificial swimmers.

Core-shell microspheres for the ultrafast degradation of estrogen hormone at neutral pH.

In the past few years there has been growing concern about human exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals. This kind of pollutants can bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms and lead to serious health problems, especially affecting child development. Many efforts have been devoted to achieving the efficient removal of such refractory organics. In this regard, a novel catalyst based on the combination of α-FeOOH and MnO2@MnCO3 catalysts has been developed by up-scalable techniques from cheap precursors and tested in the photo-Fenton-like degradation of an endocrine disruptor. Almost total degradation of 17α-ethynylestradiol hormone was achieved after only 2 min of simulated solar irradiation at neutral pH. The outstanding performance of FeOOH@MnO2@MnCO3 microspheres was mainly attributed to a larger generation of hydroxyl radicals, which are the primary mediators of the total oxidation for this hormone. This work contributes to the development of more cost-effective systems for the rapid and efficient removal of persistent organic pollutants present in sewage plant effluents under direct solar light.

Magnetotactic Bacteria Powered Biohybrids Target E. coli Biofilms.

Biofilm colonies are typically resistant to general antibiotic treatment and require targeted methods for their removal. One of these methods includes the use of nanoparticles as carriers for antibiotic delivery, where they randomly circulate in fluid until they make contact with the infected areas. However, the required proximity of the particles to the biofilm results in only moderate efficacy. We demonstrate here that the nonpathogenic magnetotactic bacteria Magnetosopirrillum gryphiswalense (MSR-1) can be integrated with drug-loaded mesoporous silica microtubes to build controllable microswimmers (biohybrids) capable of antibiotic delivery to target an infectious biofilm. Applying external magnetic guidance capability and swimming power of the MSR-1 cells, the biohybrids are directed to and forcefully pushed into matured Escherichia coli (E. coli) biofilms. Release of the antibiotic, ciprofloxacin, is triggered by the acidic microenvironment of the biofilm, ensuring an efficient drug delivery system. The results reveal the capabilities of a nonpathogenic bacteria species to target and dismantle harmful biofilms, indicating biohybrid systems have great potential for antibiofilm applications.

Microbots Decorated with Silver Nanoparticles Kill Bacteria in Aqueous Media.

Water contamination is one of the most persistent problems of public health. Resistance of some pathogens to conventional disinfectants can require the combination of multiple disinfectants or increased disinfectant doses, which may produce harmful byproducts. Here, we describe an efficient method for disinfecting Escherichia coli and removing the bacteria from contaminated water using water self-propelled Janus microbots decorated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The structure of a spherical Janus microbot consists of a magnesium (Mg) microparticle as a template that also functions as propulsion source by producing hydrogen bubbles when in contact with water, an inner iron (Fe) magnetic layer for their remote guidance and collection, and an outer AgNP-coated gold (Au) layer for bacterial adhesion and improving bactericidal properties. The active motion of microbots increases the chances of the contact of AgNPs on the microbot surface with bacteria, which provokes the selective Ag+ release in their cytoplasm, and the microbot self-propulsion increases the diffusion of the released Ag+ ions. In addition, the AgNP-coated Au cap of the microbots has a dual capability of capturing bacteria and then killing them. Thus, we have demonstrated that AgNP-coated Janus microbots are capable of efficiently killing more than 80% of E. coli compared with colloidal AgNPs that killed only less than 35% of E. coli in contaminated water solutions in 15 min. After capture and extermination of bacteria, magnetic properties of the cap allow collection of microbots from water along with the captured dead bacteria, leaving water with no biological contaminants. The presented biocompatible Janus microbots offer an encouraging method for rapid disinfection of water.

Graphene-Based Microbots for Toxic Heavy Metal Removal and Recovery from Water.

Heavy metal contamination in water is a serious risk to the public health and other life forms on earth. Current research in nanotechnology is developing new nanosystems and nanomaterials for the fast and efficient removal of pollutants and heavy metals from water. Here, we report graphene oxide-based microbots (GOx-microbots) as active self-propelled systems for the capture, transfer, and removal of a heavy metal (i.e., lead) and its subsequent recovery for recycling purposes. Microbots' structure consists of nanosized multilayers of graphene oxide, nickel, and platinum, providing different functionalities. The outer layer of graphene oxide captures lead on the surface, and the inner layer of platinum functions as the engine decomposing hydrogen peroxide fuel for self-propulsion, while the middle layer of nickel enables external magnetic control of the microbots. Mobile GOx-microbots remove lead 10 times more efficiently than nonmotile GOx-microbots, cleaning water from 1000 ppb down to below 50 ppb in 60 min. Furthermore, after chemical detachment of lead from the surface of GOx-microbots, the microbots can be reused. Finally, we demonstrate the magnetic control of the GOx-microbots inside a microfluidic system as a proof-of-concept for automatic microbots-based system to remove and recover heavy metals.

Flexible sensors for biomedical technology.

Flexible sensing devices have gained a great deal of attention among the scientific community in recent years. The application of flexible sensors spans over several fields, including medicine, industrial automation, robotics, security, and human-machine interfacing. In particular, non-invasive health-monitoring devices are expected to play a key role in the improvement of patient life and in reducing costs associated with clinical and biomedical diagnostic procedures. Here, we focus on recent advances achieved in flexible devices applied on the human skin for biomedical and healthcare purposes.

Antioxidant capacity index based on gold nanoparticles formation. Application to extra virgin olive oil samples.

A simple gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) based colorimetric assay for the antioxidant activity determination has been developed. The AuNP formation is mediated by extra virgin olive oil (EVOO's) endogenous polyphenols; the reaction is described by a sigmoidal curve. The ratio KAuNPs/Xc(50) (slope of the linear part of the sigmoid/concentration at half value of the absorbance) was found to be the optimal parameter to report the antioxidant capacity with respect to the single KAuNPs or Xc(50) values. The obtained data demonstrated that the compounds with ortho-diphenols functionality are most active in reducing gold (III) to gold (0). Thus, intermediate activity was found for gallic acid, while tyrosol (mono-phenols) had a significant lower activity than the others antioxidant compounds (at least one order of magnitude). In the analysis of olive oil samples, a significant correlation among classical methods used to determine antioxidant activity and the proposed parameter was found with R values in the 0.96-0.97 range.

Efficient biocatalytic degradation of pollutants by enzyme-releasing self-propelled motors.

The first example of a self-propelled tubular motor that releases an enzyme for the efficient biocatalytic degradation of chemical pollutants is demonstrated. How the motors are self-propelled by the Marangoni effect, involving simultaneous release of SDS surfactant and the enzyme remediation agent (laccase) in the polluted sample, is illustrated. The movement induces fluid convection and leads to the rapid dispersion of laccase into the contaminated solution and to a dramatically accelerated biocatalytic decontamination process. The greatly improved degradation efficiency, compared to quiescent solutions containing excess levels of the free enzyme, is illustrated for the efficient biocatalytic degradation of phenolic and azo-type pollutants. The high efficiency of the motor-based decontamination approach makes it extremely attractive for a wide-range of remediation processes in the environmental, defense and public health fields.