Yang Chaoyu, Liu Xurui, Song Xin, Zhang Li
Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong 999077, China.
Lab Chip. 2024 Sep 24;24(19):4514-4535. doi: 10.1039/d4lc00566j.
Small-scale robots with shape anisotropy have garnered significant scientific interest due to their enhanced mobility and precise control in recent years. Traditionally, these miniature robots are manufactured using established techniques such as molding, 3D printing, and microfabrication. However, the advent of microfluidics in recent years has emerged as a promising manufacturing technology, capitalizing on the precise and dynamic manipulation of fluids at the microscale to fabricate various complex-shaped anisotropic particles. This offers a versatile and controlled platform, enabling the efficient fabrication of small-scale robots with tailored morphologies and advanced functionalities from the microfluidic-derived anisotropic microparticles at high throughput. This review highlights the recent advances in the microfluidic fabrication of anisotropic microparticles and their potential applications in small-scale robots. In this review, the term 'small-scale robots' broadly encompasses micromotors endowed with capabilities for locomotion and manipulation. Firstly, the fundamental strategies for liquid template formation and the methodologies for generating anisotropic microparticles within the microfluidic system are briefly introduced. Subsequently, the functionality of shape-anisotropic particles in forming components for small-scale robots and actuation mechanisms are emphasized. Attention is then directed towards the diverse applications of these microparticle-derived microrobots in a variety of fields, including pollution remediation, cell microcarriers, drug delivery, and biofilm eradication. Finally, we discuss future directions for the fabrication and development of miniature robots from microfluidics, shedding light on the evolving landscape of this field.
近年来，具有形状各向异性的小型机器人因其增强的机动性和精确控制能力而引起了科学界的广泛关注。传统上，这些微型机器人是使用诸如模塑、3D打印和微加工等成熟技术制造的。然而，近年来微流控技术的出现成为一种有前途的制造技术，它利用在微尺度上对流体进行精确和动态的操控来制造各种复杂形状的各向异性颗粒。这提供了一个通用且可控的平台，能够以高通量从微流控衍生的各向异性微粒高效制造具有定制形态和先进功能的小型机器人。本文综述了各向异性微粒的微流控制造及其在小型机器人中的潜在应用的最新进展。在本文中，“小型机器人”一词广义上涵盖了具备运动和操控能力的微电机。首先，简要介绍了液体模板形成的基本策略以及在微流控系统中生成各向异性微粒的方法。随后，强调了形状各向异性颗粒在形成小型机器人组件和驱动机制方面的功能。接着将注意力转向这些由微粒衍生的微型机器人在包括污染修复、细胞微载体、药物递送和生物膜清除在内的各种领域的不同应用。最后，我们讨论了利用微流控技术制造和开发微型机器人的未来方向，揭示了该领域不断发展的前景。
