Micro-/Nanorobots Propelled by Oscillating Magnetic Fields

摘要

Recent strides in micro- and nanomanufacturing technologies have sparked the development of micro-anorobots with enhanced power and functionality. Due to the advantages of on-demand motion control, long lifetime, and great biocompatibility, magnetic propelled micro-anorobots have exhibited considerable promise in the fields of drug delivery, biosensing, bioimaging, and environmental remediation. The magnetic fields which provide energy for propulsion can be categorized into rotating and oscillating magnetic fields. In this review, recent developments in oscillating magnetic propelled micro-anorobot fabrication techniques (such as electrodeposition, self-assembly, electron beam evaporation, and three-dimensional (3D) direct laser writing) are summarized. The motion mechanism of oscillating magnetic propelled micro-anorobots are also discussed, including wagging propulsion, surface walker propulsion, and scallop propulsion. With continuous innovation, micro-anorobots can become a promising candidate for future applications in the biomedical field. As a step toward designing and building such micro-anorobots, several types of common fabrication techniques are briefly introduced. Then, we focus on three propulsion mechanisms of micro-anorobots in oscillation magnetic fields: (1) wagging propulsion; (2) surface walker; and (3) scallop propulsion. Finally, a summary table is provided to compare the abilities of different micro-anorobots driven by oscillating magnetic fields.