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
Lipid nanoparticles discovered that can deliver mRNA directly into heart muscle cells
Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death worldwide. But advances in heart-failure therapeutics have stalled, largely due to the difficulty of delivering treatments at the cellular level. Now, a UC Berkeley-led [...]
The basic mechanisms of visual attention emerged over 500 million years ago, study suggests
The brain does not need its sophisticated cortex to interpret the visual world. A new study published in PLOS Biology demonstrates that a much older structure, the superior colliculus, contains the necessary circuitry to perform the [...]
AI Is Overheating. This New Technology Could Be the Fix
Engineers have developed a passive evaporative cooling membrane that dramatically improves heat removal for electronics and data centers Engineers at the University of California San Diego have created an innovative cooling system designed to greatly enhance [...]
New nanomedicine wipes out leukemia in animal study
In a promising advance for cancer treatment, Northwestern University scientists have re-engineered the molecular structure of a common chemotherapy drug, making it dramatically more soluble and effective and less toxic. In the new study, [...]
Mystery Solved: Scientists Find Cause for Unexplained, Deadly Diseases
A study reveals that a protein called RPA is essential for maintaining chromosome stability by stimulating telomerase. New findings from the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggest that problems with a key protein that helps preserve chromosome stability [...]
Nanotech Blocks Infection and Speed Up Chronic Wound Recovery
A new nanotech-based formulation using quercetin and omega-3 fatty acids shows promise in halting bacterial biofilms and boosting skin cell repair. Scientists have developed a nanotechnology-based treatment to fight bacterial biofilms in wound infections. The [...]
Researchers propose five key questions for effective adoption of AI in clinical practice
While Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a powerful tool that physicians can use to help diagnose their patients and has great potential to improve accuracy, efficiency and patient safety, it has its drawbacks. It [...]
Advancements and clinical translation of intelligent nanodrugs for breast cancer treatment
A comprehensive review in "Biofunct. Mater." meticulously details the most recent advancements and clinical translation of intelligent nanodrugs for breast cancer treatment. This paper presents an exhaustive overview of subtype-specific nanostrategies, the clinical benefits [...]
It’s Not “All in Your Head”: Scientists Develop Revolutionary Blood Test for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
A 96% accurate blood test for ME/CFS could transform diagnosis and pave the way for future long COVID detection. Researchers from the University of East Anglia and Oxford Biodynamics have created a highly accurate [...]
How Far Can the Body Go? Scientists Find the Ultimate Limit of Human Endurance
Even the most elite endurance athletes can’t outrun biology. A new study finds that humans hit a metabolic ceiling at about 2.5 times their resting energy burn. When ultra-runners take on races that last [...]
World’s Rivers “Overdosing” on Human Antibiotics, Study Finds
Researchers estimate that approximately 8,500 tons of antibiotics enter river systems each year after passing through the human body and wastewater treatment processes. Rivers spanning millions of kilometers across the globe are contaminated with [...]
Yale Scientists Solve a Century-Old Brain Wave Mystery
Yale scientists traced gamma brain waves to thalamus-cortex interactions. The discovery could reveal how brain rhythms shape perception and disease. For more than a century, scientists have observed rhythmic waves of synchronized neuronal activity [...]
Can introducing peanuts early prevent allergies? Real-world data confirms it helps
New evidence from a large U.S. primary care network shows that early peanut introduction, endorsed in 2015 and 2017 guidelines, was followed by a marked decline in clinician-diagnosed peanut and overall food allergies among [...]
Nanoparticle blueprints reveal path to smarter medicines
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are the delivery vehicles of modern medicine, carrying cancer drugs, gene therapies and vaccines into cells. Until recently, many scientists assumed that all LNPs followed more or less the same blueprint, [...]
How nanomedicine and AI are teaming up to tackle neurodegenerative diseases
When I first realized the scale of the challenge posed by neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), I felt simultaneously humbled and motivated. These disorders are not caused [...]
Self-Organizing Light Could Transform Computing and Communications
USC engineers have demonstrated a new kind of optical device that lets light organize its own route using the principles of thermodynamics. Instead of relying on switches or digital control, the light finds its own [...]
