Scientists from the Swiss School of Technology Zurich and the IBM Research Laboratory have learned how to create artificial molecules from nanoscale balls. According to the researchers, the new technology will allow the creation of microrobots capable of treating cancerous tumors or other devices. The work was published in the journal Science Advances.
The size of artificial molecules, consisting of spherical modules, is larger than that of ordinary molecules, but by human standards it remains tiny and is on the order of several micrometers. The spheres themselves are made of silicon or polymer materials and can have different physical properties, such as electrical conductivity or magnetism. By connecting such balls to each other, researchers get micro-objects with the desired geometry, structure and other features that allow particles to respond differently to environmental conditions. Artificial molecules can be shaped like sticks, triangles, or complex 3D objects.
To obtain micro-objects, scientists used special shapes with depressions of various sizes. The researchers used them to create tiny spheres, which are then fused into a single structure by short-term heating. The manufacturing process itself differed from conventional 3D printing in that a uniform material is used for the latter, and the resulting objects have a uniform structure.
In the future, on the basis of artificial molecules, scientists plan to build self-propelled devices with complex geometry and chemical composition, which are set in motion by magnetic fields. Such micro-objects can be used in medical research as carriers of drugs and chemotherapy drugs. Also, engineers will work on creating molecules that can interact with each other and combine into superstructures that can interact with light. Such devices could be successfully applied in photonics.
Photonics is a field of science that deals with the creation of systems in which light radiation is used as a signal carrier.