Microrobots from Toposelective Nanoparticle Attachment

Abstract

Microrobots hold promise for applications ranging from targeted delivery to enhanced mixing at the microscale. However, current fabrication techniques suffer from limited throughput and material selection. Here, we demonstrate a versatile route enabling the synthesis of microrobots from off-the-shelf microand nano-particles. Our protocol hinges on the toposelective attachment of photocatalytic nanoparticles onto microparticles, exploiting a multi-functional polymer and a Pickering-wax emulsification step, to yield large quantities of photo-responsive active Janus particles. The polymer presents both silane and nitrocatechol groups, binding silica microspheres to a range of metal oxide nanoparticles. The Pickering-wax emulsions protect part of the microspheres' surface, enabling asymmetric functionalization, as required for selfpropulsion. The resulting photocatalytic microrobots display a characteristic