Advances in Chemically Powered Micro/Nanorobots for Biological Applications: A Review

Abstract Micro/nanorobots (MNRs) are capable of autonomous motion, breaking through the limitations of traditional passive transport of nanocarriers. Among them, chemically driven MNRs are the earliest MNRs studied and have received extensive attention from researchers. This review first focuses on the material properties, preparation, driving forms, and mechanisms of chemically driven MNRs. The current status of research on chemically driven MNRs in biomedicine is summarized for various biological applications (drug delivery, diagnostics, anti‐inflammatory, antibacterial, and disease treatment). In terms of biosafety, possible safety issues are analyzed in the context of chemically driven microrobotic applications in terms of three aspects: component characteristics, chemical engines and biological environment. Finally, the challenges and possible future directions of chemically driven MNRs are presented.