la5b04206_si_001.pdf (209.32 kB)
Programmed Transport and Release of Cells by Self-Propelled Micromotors
journal contribution
posted on 2016-08-29, 00:00 authored by Yoshitaka Yoshizumi, Kyohei Okubo, Masatoshi Yokokawa, Hiroaki SuzukiAutonomous
transport and release of bacterial cells by self-propelled
micromotors were achieved. The motors consisted of zinc and platinum
hemispheres formed on polystyrene beads and moved as a result of simultaneous
redox reactions occurring on both metal ends. The highly negative
redox potential of zinc enabled the selection of a wide variety of
organic redox compounds as fuels, such as methanol and p-benzoquinone. The movement of motors was observed in solutions of
fuels. To realize autonomous capture, transport, and release of cargo,
a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) was formed on the platinum part of
the motor. This SAM could be desorbed by coupling the reaction with
the dissolution of zinc, which could also be controlled by adjusting
the concentration of Zn2+ ions. Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells were captured by the motor (due
to hydrophobic interactions), transported, and released following
SAM desorption at the mixed potential.