Bioinspired multi-compartment mesoporous nanoreactors: modular assembly and functional applications

Abstract

Biomimetic multi-compartment nanoreactors (BMNRs) have emerged as a highly active and cutting-edge research direction in materials science and chemistry. Inspired by the multi-chamber structure and function of biological systems such as cells, the synergistic improvement of catalytic efficiency, catalytic selectivity, and drug delivery accuracy can be achieved by precisely regulating the number, scale, shape, and combination of chambers within the multi-chamber structure. This review first introduces strategies for preparing multi-compartment structures based on different substrates (including carbon, silicon, and metal compounds). Subsequently, the specific advantages of multi-chamber structures (including independent, isolated and interconnected multi-compartment structures) in catalysis, energy storage, and biomedical fields are discussed. Finally, the future opportunities of multi-chamber nanoreactors are outlined. This review emphasizes the advantages of emerging technologies, such as 3D printing, in adjusting multi-chamber structures and designs in nanotechnology and the development of nano-robots capable of autonomous navigation and performing complex tasks in vivo that can overcome the technical bottleneck of drug delivery.