Scalable fabrication of ANT-functionalised 3D CNT microstructures for light-responsive artificial cilia

人工纤毛森林由碳纳米管(CNT)柱组成，带有Au和聚(N-异丙基丙烯酰胺)(PNIPAM)的官能化，其设计和制造将使它们能够光响应驱动。Au纳米粒子和PNIPAM的混合体系是一种热响应性聚合物，通过利用Au等离子体共振来诱导局部加热，表现为光控驱动的纳米换能器(ANT)。蚂蚁之前已经被证明具有快速的响应时间(&lt；1s)，可切换的折射率，并且能够产生&gt；1nN的力。碳纳米管的毛细管形成和碳纳米管的应变工程已被用于大面积制备具有显著一致性的复杂的碳纳米管结构，这表明这些技术将适合于制作纤毛状支架，蚂蚁将被附着在其上。在生物学中，纤毛阵列无处不在，具有细胞运输和表面清洁等功能(图2(B))。这些基本的能力激发了这些ANT-CNT人工纤毛阵列的制造，这些阵列在仿生表面、人工蠕动、生物传感器和自清洁表面等领域有应用。

Artificial cilia forests, composed of carbon nanotube (CNT) pillars functionalised with Au and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), will be designed and fabricated such that they are capable of light-responsive actuation. Hybrid systems of Au nanoparticles and PNIPAM, which is a thermoresponsive polymer, behave as light-controlled actuated nanotransducers (ANTs) by using the Au plasmonic resonances to induce localised heating. ANTs have previously been shown to have fast response times (<1s), a switchable refractive index, and are capable of generating >1nN of force. Capillary formation of CNTs and strain engineering of CNTs have previously been used to fabricate complex CNT structures with remarkable uniformity over large areas, suggesting that these techniques would be suitable for the fabrication of the cilia-like scaffold upon which the ANTs would be appended. In biology, cilia arrays are ubiquitous, with functions such as cell transport and surface cleaning (Figure 2(b)). These essential abilities inspire the fabrication of these ANT-CNT artificial cilia arrays, which have applications in areas such as biomimetic surfaces, artificial peristalsis, biosensors, and self-cleaning surfaces.