Inspired by the natural motors, artificial nanomotors (NMs) have emerged as intelligent, advanced, and multifunctional nanoplatforms that can perform complex tasks in living environments. However, the functionalization of these fantastic materials is in its infancy, hindering the success of this booming field. Herein, an inhibitor-conjugated nearinfrared (NIR) laser-propelled Janus nanomotor (JNM-I) was constructed and first applied in the modulation of amyloid-β protein (Aβ) aggregation which is highly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Under NIR light illumination, JNM-I exhibited efficient propulsion through the "self-thermophoresis" effect, and the active motion of JNM-I increased the opportunity of the contacts between the immobilized inhibitors and Aβ species, leading to an intensification of JNM-I on modulating the on-pathway Aβ aggregation, as evidenced by the distinct changes of the amyloid morphology, conformation, and cytotoxicity. For example, with a NIR irradiation, 200 μg/mL of JNM-I increased the cultured SH-SY5Y cell viability from 68% to nearly 100%, but it only protected the cells to 89% viability without an NIR irradiation. Meanwhile, the NIR irradiation effectively improved the blood−brain barrier (BBB) penetration of JNM-I. Such a JNM-I has connected artificial nanomotors with protein aggregation and provided new insight into the potential applications of various nanomotors in the prevention and treatment of AD.

Artificial nano/micromotors that represent the next-generation automotive microdevices hold considerable promise in various potential applications. However, it is a great challenge to design light-powered micro/nanomotors with effective propulsion that can fulfill diverse tasks. Herein, a multilight-responsive micromotor is fabricated by in situ precipitation of photothermal Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) onto different microparticles. The composites exhibit phototactic swarming movement by irradiation at 320−550 nm, which can be reversibly and remotely manipulated by irradiation position, "on/off" switch, and light intensity. The micromotor made of Fe 3 O 4 @poly(glycidyl methacrylate)/polystyrene (Fe 3 O 4 @PGS) core−shell particles presents a propulsion speed as high as 270 μm/s under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Using an array of experimental methods and numerical simulations, thermal convection mechanism is proposed for the propulsion. Namely, under light irradiation, the photogenerated heat on Fe 3 O 4 NPs decreases the density of the irradiated spot, leading to the swarming motion of the composite particles propelled by a "hydrodynamic drag" toward the light spot. Then, Fe 3 O 4 @PGS is exploited as a platform for performing "chemistry-on-the-fly" using both the catalytic efficiency of Fe 3 O 4 NPs and an immobilized enzyme (lipase). It is found that the propulsion increases the catalytic efficiency of Fe 3 O 4 NPs for rhodamine B degradation by over 10 times under sunlight. Moreover, it is proved to accelerate the enzymatic reactions of lipase on Fe 3 O 4 @PGS in both aqueous and organic systems by more than 50%. Such a multiwavelength phototactic swimmer paves the way to the design of advanced micromotors for various applications, such as drug delivery, microsurgery, and sensing.

Artificial micro‐/nanomotors (MNMs) are tiny apparatuses that can autonomously navigate and perform specific tasks at micro‐/nanoscale. The continuous movement characteristics of MNMs and related motion‐induced micromixing effect enable these devices to act as “on‐the‐move” cleaners, sensors, and reactors to facilitate corresponding chemical/physical processes. With reasonable design and specific surface functionalization, MNMs show great promise in environmental, sensing, and chemical applications. This review conveys the current propulsion strategies of MNMs, with specific focus on their capabilities of accelerating chemical/physical processes. Representative applications of MNMs in environmental remediation, detection, and chemical conversion are discussed, emphasizing and highlighting the role of these moving MNMs in chemical aspects. Finally, the main challenges and existing limitations to translating the potential of MNMs into real‐world applications are discussed, along with the future opportunities of this field.

Deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregates in the brain is a main pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), so inhibition of Aβ aggregation has been considered as a promising strategy for AD prevention and treatment. Black phosphorus (BP) is a 2D nanomaterial with high biocompatibility and unique biodegradability, but its potential application in biomedicine suffers from the rapid degradability and unfunctionability. To overcome the drawbacks and broaden its application, we have herein designed an Aβ inhibitor (LK7)-coupled and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-stabilized BP-based nanosystem. The PEGylated-LK7-BP nanosheets (PEG-LK7@BP) not only exhibited a good stability but also demonstrated a significantly enhanced inhibitory potency on Aβ 42 fibrillogenesis in comparison with its counterparts. This elaborately designed PEG-LK7@BP stopped the conformational transition and suppressed the fibrillization of Aβ 42 , so it could completely rescue cultured cells from the toxicity of Aβ 42 (by increasing the cell viability from 72 to 100%) at 100 μg/mL. It is considered that PEG-LK7@BP could bind Aβ species by enhanced electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions and thus efficiently alleviated Aβ−Aβ interactions. Meanwhile, the coupled LK7 on the BP surface formed a high local concentration that enhanced the affinity between the nanosystem and Aβ species. Finally, PEG could improve the stability and dispersibility of the nanoplatform to make it show an increased inhibitory effect on the amyloid formation. Hence, this work proved that PEG-LK7@BP is a promising nanosystem for the development of amyloid inhibitors fighting against AD.

Theranostics, the combination of therapeutics and diagnostics, has emerged as a sophisticated, integrated, and advanced tool in the prevention and treatment of serious diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the preclinical research of an AD theranostic molecule is in its infancy and needs to be explored in depth. Herein, a multifunctional theranostic agent is designed and fabricated by conjugating an Aβ-specific near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence probe (F) and by coupling a BBB penetrable peptide (Penetratin, Pen) onto the basified human serum albumin (HSA-B) that has been recently proven as an effective amyloid-β (Aβ) inhibitor. Such an elaborately constructed HSA-B-based molecule (HSA-BFP) possesses high potency on inhibiting Aβ fibrillogenesis, for example, increasing SH-SY5Y cell viability from 66.5 to 93%. In addition, HSA-BFP exhibits favorable stability in the “off–on” NIR imaging of Aβ plaques and achieves a 2-fold increase of BBB permeability after the Pen modification. More importantly, in vivo assays with the AD model C. elegans CL2006 indicate that HSA-BFP can specifically image Aβ deposits, decrease amyloid accumulation, and attenuate Aβ-triggered paralysis. Thus, HSA-B has been proven as a potent and versatile platform for the development of AD theranostic agents.