Janus-micromotor-based on–off luminescence sensor for active TNT detection

• Ye Yuan,
• Changyong Gao,
• Daolin Wang,
• Chang Zhou,
• Baohua Zhu and
• Qiang He

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1324–1331, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.131

• of detection as low as 2.4 ng mL−1 TNT within 1 minute. Such bubble-propelled Janus UCNP capsule motors have great potential for contaminated water analysis. Keywords: autonomous motion; bubble propulsion; Janus micromotors; layer-by-layer assembly; TNT detection; upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs

• quenching based sensors for active TNT detection. The Janus capsule micromotors were fabricated by depositing a thin platinum (Pt) film onto one hemisphere of the UCNP-functionalized hollow polyelectrolyte microcapsules. These as-prepared Janus micromotors can autonomously move by catalytic decomposition of

• catalytic Janus micromotors demonstrates the potential for water pollutant analysis. Results and Discussion The Janus UCNP-functionalized hollow polyelectrolyte capsule micromotors were prepared via a template-assisted method as schematically shown in Figure 1a. Briefly, eight bilayers of poly(allylamine