Light activated TiO2-based microswimmers: synthesis and characterization

Microswimmers, also known as micromotors are extremely small devices able to move and perform complex tasks in different liquid media. They are heavily inspired by natural microorganisms and intended for applications in the environmental remediation and biomedical fields. They can be made out a wide variety of materials, and be activated by a light source or by an electrical or magnetic field, as well as by other methods. They also might or might not use fuel and show different swimming behaviors and propulsion mechanisms. This Thesis project will focus on those that are made out of titanium dioxide (TiO2), a material with surprising photocatalytic abilities and irradiated by a light source to initiate their movement, which will be typically either NIR or UV, although visible-light activated microswimmers are gaining popularity and becoming a hot topic in the field. Five different types of TiO2-based microswimmers – of which, only one of them has been previously reported in literature – will be produced and characterized, describing each procedure step by step. The goal would be to make particles that, first of all, move, can be controllable by either tuning the intensity of the light source or directly turning it on and off and that show rapid movement, therefore overcoming the three problematic areas that currently exist in this field of science