A recent study published in Nature Communications presents a new microrobotic platform designed to improve the precision and versatility of nanoparticle manipulation using light. Led by Jin Qin and colleagues, the research addresses limitations in traditional optical methods and introduces a microrobot powered by plasmonic nanomotors.
Background: Limitations of Traditional Techniques
Manipulating nanoparticles at the nanoscale is a persistent challenge. Conventional optical tweezers work well for microscale objects but face limitations with nanoparticles due to diffraction limits and limited control over particle orientation. Efforts to induce particle rotation or enhance control often involve trade-offs, such as bulky attachments or complex multi-trap configurations, which restrict flexibility and accuracy.
To overcome these constraints, the authors developed a light-driven microrobotic system—essentially a microdrone that can move with multiple degrees of freedom and manipulate nanoparticles with enhanced precision. This platform aims to provide greater agility and fine-tuned control for applications requiring nanoscale manipulation.
The Current Study
The microrobots were constructed using a rigid, transparent disk-shaped body made from hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ), measuring approximately 3.5 μm in diameter and 150 nm in height, with a total weight of around 3.8 pg. Several plasmonic antennas were integrated into the structure to serve as independent motors.
At the core of the manipulation system is a plasmonic nano-tweezer—a gold cross-antenna designed and fabricated using focused helium ion beam milling. This structure generates a localized near-field hot spot that enables the trapping of nanoparticles. The tweezer was embedded directly onto the microrobot in a single fabrication step, with a 1 μm gap maintained between the tweezer and motors to avoid interference.
For experimental validation, a static tweezer setup was used. It was mounted on a coverslip inside a water cell containing nanodiamonds (average diameter of 70 nm). A 980 nm infrared laser was used to create an optical trap, while a 532 nm green laser excited the nanodiamonds’ color centers for fluorescence-based tracking.
The microrobots were released into solution by etching away the indium tin oxide substrate using hydrochloric acid. Once free-floating in water, the infrared laser induced a gentle push from the substrate, enabling the trapping of nanodiamonds without unwanted adhesion, which can result from surface charge effects.
All trapping and manipulation events were recorded using a high-numerical-aperture oil-immersion objective for detailed imaging of microrobot behavior.
Results and Discussion: Performance of the Microrobot Platform
The researchers successfully demonstrated the microrobot’s ability to trap, transport, and release nanoparticles with high precision. Experimental sequences showed the microrobots performing both spiral and linear motion patterns while securely holding nanodiamonds.
Stable trapping was achieved through the interaction of optical gradient forces and plasmonically enhanced fields, confirming the effectiveness of the integrated tweezer design.
The system also exhibited reliable control over dynamic sequences, something not possible with many existing manipulation tools. The applications discussed include targeted drug delivery, quantum sensing, and other nanotech workflows that require cargo transport at the nanoscale.
The authors do acknowledge some limitations. For instance, heat-induced thermophoresis can reduce trapping efficiency, and particles may detach during rapid movement. However, they suggest that implementing an active feedback system could help counteract Brownian motion and improve positional accuracy during manipulation.
With further refinement, this platform could support a wider range of applications in areas like targeted cargo delivery, quantum sensing, and precision nanoscale engineering.
Journal Reference
Qin J., et al. (2025). Light-driven plasmonic microrobot for nanoparticle manipulation. Nature Communications 16, 2570. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57871-x, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-57871-x
News
Scientist tackles key roadblock for AI in drug discovery
The drug development pipeline is a costly and lengthy process. Identifying high-quality "hit" compounds—those with high potency, selectivity, and favorable metabolic properties—at the earliest stages is important for reducing cost and accelerating the path [...]
Nanoplastics with environmental coatings can sneak past the skin’s defenses
Plastic is ubiquitous in the modern world, and it's notorious for taking a long time to completely break down in the environment - if it ever does. But even without breaking down completely, plastic [...]
Chernobyl scientists discover black fungus feeding on deadly radiation
It looks pretty sinister, but it might actually be incredibly helpful When reactor number four in Chernobyl exploded, it triggered the worst nuclear disaster in history, one which the surrounding area still has not [...]
Long COVID Is Taking A Silent Toll On Mental Health, Here’s What Experts Say
Months after recovering from COVID-19, many people continue to feel unwell. They speak of exhaustion that doesn’t fade, difficulty breathing, or an unsettling mental haze. What’s becoming increasingly clear is that recovery from the [...]
Study Delivers Cancer Drugs Directly to the Tumor Nucleus
A new peptide-based nanotube treatment sneaks chemo into drug-resistant cancer cells, providing a unique workaround to one of oncology’s toughest hurdles. CiQUS researchers have developed a novel molecular strategy that allows a chemotherapy drug to [...]
Scientists Begin $14.2 Million Project To Decode the Body’s “Hidden Sixth Sense”
An NIH-supported initiative seeks to unravel how the nervous system tracks and regulates the body’s internal organs. How does your brain recognize when it’s time to take a breath, when your blood pressure has [...]
Scientists Discover a New Form of Ice That Shouldn’t Exist
Researchers at the European XFEL and DESY are investigating unusual forms of ice that can exist at room temperature when subjected to extreme pressure. Ice comes in many forms, even when made of nothing but water [...]
Nobel-winning, tiny ‘sponge crystals’ with an astonishing amount of inner space
The 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded to Richard Robson, Susumu Kitagawa and Omar Yaghi on Oct. 8, 2025, for the development of metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs, which are tunable crystal structures with extremely [...]
Harnessing Green-Synthesized Nanoparticles for Water Purification
A new review reveals how plant- and microbe-derived nanoparticles can power next-gen water disinfection, delivering cleaner, safer water without the environmental cost of traditional treatments. A recent review published in Nanomaterials highlights the potential of green-synthesized nanomaterials (GSNMs) in [...]
Brainstem damage found to be behind long-lasting effects of severe Covid-19
Damage to the brainstem - the brain's 'control center' - is behind long-lasting physical and psychiatric effects of severe Covid-19 infection, a study suggests. Using ultra-high-resolution scanners that can see the living brain in [...]
CT scan changes over one year predict outcomes in fibrotic lung disease
Researchers at National Jewish Health have shown that subtle increases in lung scarring, detected by an artificial intelligence-based tool on CT scans taken one year apart, are associated with disease progression and survival in [...]
AI Spots Hidden Signs of Disease Before Symptoms Appear
Researchers suggest that examining the inner workings of cells more closely could help physicians detect diseases earlier and more accurately match patients with effective therapies. Researchers at McGill University have created an artificial intelligence tool capable of uncovering [...]
Breakthrough Blood Test Detects Head and Neck Cancer up to 10 Years Before Symptoms
Mass General Brigham’s HPV-DeepSeek test enables much earlier cancer detection through a blood sample, creating a new opportunity for screening HPV-related head and neck cancers. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for about 70% of [...]
Study of 86 chikungunya outbreaks reveals unpredictability in size and severity
The symptoms come on quickly—acute fever, followed by debilitating joint pain that can last for months. Though rarely fatal, the chikungunya virus, a mosquito-borne illness, can be particularly severe for high-risk individuals, including newborns and older [...]
Tiny Fat Messengers May Link Obesity to Alzheimer’s Plaque Buildup
Summary: A groundbreaking study reveals how obesity may drive Alzheimer’s disease through tiny messengers called extracellular vesicles released from fat tissue. These vesicles carry lipids that alter how quickly amyloid-β plaques form, a hallmark of [...]
Ozone exposure weakens lung function and reshapes the oral microbiome
Scientists reveal that short-term ozone inhalation doesn’t just harm the lungs; it reshapes the microbes in your mouth, with men facing the greatest risks. Ozone is a toxic environmental pollutant with wide-ranging effects on [...]
