Photocurable polymer-based tubular micromotors: advancing toward life science applications

Abstract

Micromotors—micrometer-scale objects capable of autonomous motion in aqueous environments—have emerged as promising tools in microtechnology and microrobotics. Among their structural variants, hollow tubular architectures are particularly attractive due to their multifunctional surfaces. A key challenge lies in advancing their practical application in life sciences. This review highlights recent progress in photocurable polymer-based tubular micromotors. Acrylic-resin tubes incorporating platinum nanoparticles (Pt tubes) were fabricated through a template-assisted process combining photopolymerization with wet layer-by-layer assembly. Protein-functionalized Pt tubes propel in H2O2 solutions via O2 bubble generation, while catalase-modified tubes exhibit light-tunable propulsion. Remarkably, Pt tubes also self-propel in aqueous ammonia borane (NH3BH3) through H2 bubble release, enabling lectin-coated micromotors to capture live cells without damage. Moreover, urease-driven tubes wrapped with doxorubicin-loaded liposomes demonstrate efficient anticancer activity under near-infrared irradiation. These findings underscore the potential of photocurable polymer-based tubular micromotors as versatile platforms for future biological and biomedical applications.