Massively parallel microbubble nano-assembly
Microbubbles are an important tool due to their unique mechanical, acoustic, and dynamical properties. Yet, it remains challenging to generate microbubbles quickly in a parallel, biocompatible, and controlled manner. Here, we present an opto-electrochemical method that combines precise light-based p...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
22 July 2025
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| In: |
Nature Communications
Year: 2025, Volume: 16, Pages: 1-11 |
| ISSN: | 2041-1723 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41467-025-62070-9 |
| Online Access: | Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62070-9 Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-62070-9 
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| Author Notes: | Hyungmok Joh, Bin Lian, Shaw-iong Hsueh, Zhichao Ma, Keng-Jung Lee, Si-Yang Zheng, Peer Fischer & Donglei Emma Fan |
| Summary: | Microbubbles are an important tool due to their unique mechanical, acoustic, and dynamical properties. Yet, it remains challenging to generate microbubbles quickly in a parallel, biocompatible, and controlled manner. Here, we present an opto-electrochemical method that combines precise light-based projection with low-energy electrolysis, realizing defined microbubble patterns that in turn trigger assembly processes. The size of the bubbles can be controlled from a few to over hundred micrometers with a spatial accuracy of ~2 μm. The minimum required light intensity is only ~0.1 W/cm2, several orders of magnitude lower compared to other light-enabled methods. We demonstrate the assembly of prescribed patterns of 40-nm nanocrystals, 200 nm extracellular vesicles, polymer nanospheres, and live bacteria. We show how nanosensor-bacterial-cell arrays can be formed for spectroscopic profiling of metabolites and antibiotic response of bacterial assemblies. The combination of a photoconductor with electrochemical techniques enables low-energy, low-temperature bubble generation, advantageous for large-scale, one-shot patterning of diverse particles in a biocompatible manner. The microbubble-platform is highly versatile and promises new opportunities in nanorobotics, nanomanufacturing, high-throughput bioassays, single cell omics, bioseparation, and drug screening and discovery. |
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| Item Description: | Gesehen am 11.12.2025 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 2041-1723 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41467-025-62070-9 |