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Chemical Sensing Based on Catalytic Nanomotors: Motion-Based Detection of Trace Silver

Bimetallic nanomotors mimic the functions of molecular motor proteins such as kinesin. We have discovered that silver ions greatly accelerate the movement of nanomotors, in contrast to all other metal ions tested. Usually, increasing ionic strength leads to declining nanomotor speed. The acceleration effect of Ag(I) can be attributed to formation of silver nuclei and alloys at the surface of the gold part of the nanomachines. The speed of nanomotors was, thus, used for the first time as a quantitative signal for trace analysis. This provides potential for the development of new nano-machineries as well as numerous novel sensing protocols.