Molecular mechanisms of highly efficient energy conversion of Ag-based microrobots and active antimicrobial treatment of periodontitis

Embodied AgTPMbot was synthesized with hydrophilic TPM half-coated hydrophobic AgNP. • Dog-sledding driving-force makes AgTPMbot fast self-propel in TPM-forward mode. • Bot has high energy efficiency with optimal coupled surface interaction and fluid dynamics. • AgTPMbot gargle has superior active antimicrobial treatment effect of periodontitis. • Eradication of biofilm and pathogenic bacteria remodels immune-metabolic homeostasis. Characterized with dynamic reaction on the fly, chemically-driven microbots, the microscale embodied intelligent agents (MEIagents), have attracted tremendous attention for their ability to learn and perform tasks through interaction with surroundings. However, molecular mechanisms of how surface-engineering modulates microrobots performance remains unresolved. Here, we synthesized embodied Ag-based microrobots (AgTPMbots) by using heterogeneous nucleation method where pre-synthesized hydrophobic rose-like silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) half-coated with hydrophilic polymerized 3-trimethoxysilyl propyl methacrylate (TPM) via UV-induced radical polymerization. Surface engineering makes AgTPMbots have dog-sledding synergistic driven-force and self-propel at high speed of 38   µm   s -1 in 1.5% H 2 O 2 solution with TPM-forward mode, and outrun swimming speed of bacteria. Energy conversion efficiency of AgTPMbots is 30~259 times by that of AgNPs due to enhanced catalysis integrated with optimal coupling between chemical energy, interfacial interaction and fluid dynamics, as well as prompted bubble formation on concave Ag surface. With mechanical disruption, ROS, Ag + and reshaped rich O 2 microenvironment, AgTPMbot gargle shows superior active antimicrobial treatment efficiency in SD rats periodontic model as the eradication of biofilm and anaerobic pathogenic bacteria remodeling periodontal immune-metabolic homeostasis. Such surface engineering tailored mobility, interaction with surroundings and application performance of microrobots provides a molecular paradigm for engineering MEIagents. Download: Download high-res image (238KB) Download: Download full-size image Underlying molecular mechanisms of highly efficient Ag-based microrobots and good performance in active antimicrobial treatment of periodontitis.