Dynamic self-assembly of micro-nanomotor

The micro-nanomotors are nanometer or micrometer-sized devices which can be produced by a specific process and then activated by chemical reactions or external physical energy sources. These activated micro-nanomotors are a kind of actuator which can convert chemical or other forms of energy (magnetic, electrical, photochemical, acoustic) to mechanical energy in the form of motion. Their locomotion can range from controllable rotation, rolling, shuttling, gathering, assembling and other forms of complex dynamic behavior. Self-propelled nano-microscale machines are of interest for a growing number of applications that include nano-assembly, polymer degradation, targeted drug delivery and environmental remediation. These devices, with their exceptional speed and controllability, can be made to move together as an entire assembly, which can greatly improve their overall efficiency in such applications. This self-assembly is a very important and unique group behavior of micro-nanomotors, which differs from the traditional assembly of static particles because they need to consume energy and are a non-equilibrium system, meaning that the structure is dynamic and can transform or disperse under different stimuli and different conditions. In this review, we focus on the recent research progress and the latest research results of micro-nanomotors in dynamic self-assembly. The dynamic self-assembly of self-propelled micro-nanomotors with different structural properties and propulsion mechanisms will be described in detail, in the aim of providing a comprehensive reference for the wide range of dynamic behaviors of micro-nanomotors.