Lighting up Micro-/Nanorobots with Fluorescence.

Abstract

Micro-/nanorobots (MNRs) can be autonomously propelled on demand in complex biological environments and thus may bring revolutionary changes to biomedicines. Fluorescence has been widely used in real-time imaging, chemo-/biosensing, and photo-(chemo-) therapy. The integration of MNRs with fluorescence generates fluorescent MNRs with unique advantages of optical trackability, on-the-fly environmental sensitivity, and targeting chemo-/photon-induced cytotoxicity. This review provides an up-to-date overview of fluorescent MNRs. After the highlighted elucidation about MNRs of various propulsion mechanisms and the introductory information on fluorescence with emphasis on the fluorescent mechanisms and materials, we systematically illustrate the design and preparation strategies to integrate MNRs with fluorescent substances and their biomedical applications in imaging-guided drug delivery, intelligent on-the-fly sensing and photo-(chemo-) therapy. In the end, we summarize the main challenges and provide an outlook on the future directions of fluorescent MNRs. This work is expected to attract and inspire researchers from different communities to advance the creation and practical application of fluorescent MNRs on a broad horizon.