Azobenzene-bearing polymer engine powered organic nanomotors for light-driven cargo transport

The construction of artificial organic nanomotors powered by an energy-converting polymer engine for light-driven cargo transport is still a great challenge. Herein, we report on a one-pot preparation of photoactivated sub-200 nm-scaled polymeric nanomotors by a straightforward assembly of light-fueled azobenzene-bearing polymer engine and macromolecular payloads. The versatility of this process allows morphology adjustment and payload replacement in a convenient manner. Upon UV irradiation, the azobenzene-bearing polymer engine enables absorbing the light to trigger the photoisomerization and photothermal conversion, leading to mass migration and thermal generation within the nanomotors, that highly corresponds to light power, particle morphology, and payload rigidity. The photothermal converting polymer engine continuously converts light energy into sufficient kinetic energy for powering the nanomotors to overcome the Brownian motion, and the photoactivated deformation further promotes the self-propulsion. Such light-driven self-propulsion allows the nanomotors carrying bioactive cargoes to traverse various physiological barriers, showing great potential in antitumor therapy.