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Electrodeposition has appeared in the last year as a non-expensive and versatile technique for the growth of nanomaterials. We review the main characteristics of electrodeposition that make this technique very suitable for its combination with different nanofabrication tools and the possibilities that this combination offers to fabricate nanowires and more complex tridimensional nanostructures. Finally, we overview the present and future impact of electrodeposition on the fabrication of a novel generation of nanomaterials with potential impact in nanomagnetism and spintronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaseous oxygen plays a vital role in driving the metabolism of living organisms and has multiple agricultural, medical, and technological applications. Different methods have been discovered to produce oxygen, including plants, oxygen concentrators and catalytic reactions. However, many such approaches are relatively expensive, involve challenges, complexities in post-production processes or generate undesired reaction products. Catalytic oxygen generation using hydrogen peroxide is one of the simplest and cleanest methods to produce oxygen in the required quantities. Chemically powered micro/nanomotors, capable of self-propulsion in liquid media, offer convenient and economic platforms for on-the-fly generation of gaseous oxygen on demand. Micromotors have opened up opportunities for controlled oxygen generation and transport under complex conditions, critical medical diagnostics and therapy. Mobile oxygen micro-carriers help better understand the energy transduction efficiencies of micro/nanoscopic active matter by careful selection of catalytic materials, fuel compositions and concentrations, catalyst surface curvatures and catalytic particle size, which opens avenues for controllable oxygen release on the level of a single catalytic microreactor. This review discusses various micro/nanomotor systems capable of functioning as mobile oxygen generators while highlighting their features, efficiencies and application potentials in different fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro- and nanomotors (MNMs) are micro/nanoparticles that can perform autonomous motion in complex fluids driven by different power sources. They have been attracting increasing attention due to their great potential in a variety of applications ranging from environmental science to biomedical engineering. Over the past decades, this field has evolved rapidly, with many significant innovations contributed by global researchers. In this review, we first briefly overview the methods used to propel motors and then present the main strategies used to design proper MNMs. Next, we highlight recent fascinating applications of MNMs in two examplary fields, water remediation and biomedical microrobots, and conclude this review with a brief discussion of challenges in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the autonomously moving organisms in nature, artificially synthesized micro-nano-scale power devices, also called micro-and nanomotors, are proposed. These micro-and nanomotors that can self-propel have been used for biological sensing, environmental remediation, and targeted drug transportation. In this article, we will systematically overview the conversion of chemical energy or other forms of energy in the external environment (such as electrical energy, light energy, magnetic energy, and ultrasound) into kinetic mechanical energy by micro-and nanomotors. The development and progress of these energy conversion mechanisms in the past ten years are reviewed, and the broad application prospects of micro-and nanomotors in energy conversion are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As robotic tools are becoming a fundamental part of present day surgical interventions, microrobotic surgery is steadily approaching clinically-relevant scenarios. In particular, minimally invasive microrobotic targeted drug deliveries are reaching the grasp of the current state-of-the-art technology. However, clinically-relevant issues, such as lack of biocompatibility and dexterity, complicate the clinical application of the results obtained in controlled environments. Consequently, in this work we present a proof-of-concept fully contactless and biocompatible approach for active targeted delivery of a drug-model. In order to achieve full biocompatiblity and contacless actuation, magnetic fields are used for motion control, ultrasound is used for imaging, and induction heating is used for active drug-model release. The presented system is validated in a three-dimensional phantom of human vessels, performing ten trials that mimic targeted drug delivery using a drug-coated microrobot. The system is capable of closed-loop motion control with average velocity and positioning error of 0.3 mm/s and 0.4 mm, respectively. Overall, our findings suggest that the presented approach could augment the current capabilities of microrobotic tools, helping the development of clinically-relevant approaches for active in-vivo targeted drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]