Abstract Summary: Synthetic nano/micromotors are a class of materials with vast promise for applications ranging from environmental remediation to nanomedicine. To our knowledge this study represents the first example of chemically driven metal-organic framework (MOF) micromotors with rapid, reversible pH-responsive motility. Introduction: Chemically driven self-propelled nano/micromotors have been receiving increasing attention for drug delivery1, biosensing2 and medical imaging. However, it is difficult to tune the propulsive speed of synthetic chemically driven motors. Therefore, there is a growing effort to engineer stimulus-responsive speed control mechanisms into synthetic motors for various applications. Results and discussion: In this work, we in-situ co-encapsulated the catalase and succinylated β-lactoglobulin into MOF, using peroxide as biofuels to generate oxygen bubbles to propel micromotors (Schematic). Here, we demonstrate the motion of MOF micromotors is precisely tuned by the pH-induced reversible protein conformational change within the frameworks that act as a gate keeper to control the access of chemical fuels. More importantly, the dual pH and H2O2 responsiveness in the micromotor system for programmed degradation and release of payload can offer more precise control to deliver drugs to the cells3.

Biocatalytic porous frameworks with reversible pH-gated speed regulation for smart micromotors

2019 Fall National Meeting

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