祝贺我组博士生杨满义、牟方志研究员等完成的研究论文“Tumbleweed-Like Aggregation-Induced-Emission Microrobots: Swarming for Ultra-Tracing of Hydrazine”被Elsevier出版集团的Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical期刊（中科院1区Top期刊）接收！
肼（N2H4）具有高度的致癌和致畸作用，即使微量的接触也可能导致严重的健康风险。然而，目前的检测技术很难在有限空间的复杂反应装置内对N2H4进行动态靶向检测。受天然植物风滚草的启发，我们研发了一种风滚草形貌的AIE荧光微米机器人（AIE-bots），能够在微管道和反应器中针对N2H4的泄漏或积累进行动态靶向检测。该AIE-bots由AIEgens和Fe3O4纳米粒子通过挥发性溶剂蒸发过程中的相分离组装而成。在施加旋进磁场B(t)后，AIE-bots能够形成集群并以摆动方式自适应地穿过狭窄通道。由于其特殊的风滚草结构特性，AIE-bots集群可以有效地攀爬高达45°的斜坡。在运动过程中，AIE-bots集群通过基于席夫碱反应的荧光增强原位感知周围N2H4的浓度，其检测限LOD为3.81 ppb。这项工作提供了一种荧光微米机器人，能够检测难以触及的微环境中未知毒素的泄漏或积聚，并将激发基于荧光传感的微纳机器人在智能运动感知领域的进一步发展。
原文摘要如下：Hydrazine (N2H4) poses severe health risks even in trace amounts due to the highly carcinogenic and teratogenic degeneration while it is frequently used in industrial products. However, current techniques are difficult to perform in-situ detection of N2H4 within confined sophisticated reactors or slim apparatus. Bioinspired by natural plant tumbleweed, we have demonstrated that swarming aggregation-induced emission microrobots (AIE-bots), which have a tumbleweed-like macroporous structure, are capable of performing motile-targeting detection of N2H4 leakage or accumulation. In this protocol, the AIE-bots are assembled from emulsion droplets containing AIEgens and hydrophobic Fe3O4 nanoparticles evenly distributed in CHCl3 and n-hexane through phase separation during the evaporation of volatile solvents. Upon the application of a precessing B(t), the AIE-bots can wobble in swarms and adaptively navigate through narrow channels without adjusting B(t). Additionally, they can efficiently ascend steep slopes with angles up to 45° due to the lightweight and coarse surface. While moving, the swarming AIE-bots can in-situ perceive the N2H4 concentration surrounding with an LOD of 3.81 ppb via fluorescence enhancement based on the Schiff base reaction. This work provides a microrobot detecting unknown toxin leakage or accumulation in hard-to-reach microenvironments, and will inspire the development of fluorescent micro-/nanorobots for intelligent motile sensing.
