Light Driven ZnO/AuNP Micro/Nanomotor with Controlled Rotation and Phototaxis

Abstract Light driven micro/nanomotor (MNM) has shown great potential in applications such as active matter, biomedicine, etc. However, it is still challenging to achieve novel movement behaviors with good controllability and precision. In this work, we have achieved the controlled motion behavior of the light‐driven MNM consisting of ZnO microrod with decorated gold nanoparticle (AuNP). By adjusting the irradiation condition, the ZnO/AuNP MNM is able to rotate around the center, rotate around one end, rotate to a designated angle, move in helical or translational fashion. The movement relies on the self‐electrophoresis, the self‐thermophoresis or their combination. We believe that this work not only sheds light on the regulation of the movement behaviors of light driven MNMs but also provides new ideas for the development of MNMs with self‐adaptive features.