Fantastic Voyage of Nanobots

Join this meeting to learn about designing self-powered nanobots

Fantastic Voyage: Designing Self-Powered Nanobots

One of the more interesting recent discoveries has been the ability to design nano/microparticles, including molecules, which catalytically harness the chemical energy in their environment to move autonomously. These "bots" can be directed by chemical and light gradients. Further, our group has developed systems in which chemical secretions from the translating micro/nanomotors initiate long-range, collective interactions among the particles. This behavior is reminiscent of quorum sensing organisms that swarm in response to a minimum threshold concentration of a signaling chemical. In addition, an object that moves by generating a continuous surface force in a fluid can, in principle, be used to pump the fluid by the same catalytic mechanism. Thus, by immobilizing the nano/micromotors, we have developed nano/microfluidic pumps that transduce energy catalytically.

Speaker: 

Ayusman Sen

Ayusman Sen is the Verne M. Willaman Professor of Chemistry and Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University. He is Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Royal Society of Chemistry, and recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt prize and the Medal from the Chemical Research Society of India. His research interests encompass active autonomous systems, synthetic nano and micromotors, micropumps, and systems chemistry. He is the author of over 400 scientific publications and holds 25 patents. Sen’s pastime centers on enological and gastronomical explorations. https://sites.psu.edu/sengroup/

asen@psu.edu