Active, Autonomous, and Adaptive Polymeric Particles for Biomedical Applications

Nature's motors are complex and efficient systems, which are able to respond to many different stimuli present in the cell. Nanomotors for biomedical applications are designed to mimic nature's complexity; however, they usually lack biocompatibility and the ability to adapt to their environment. Polymeric vesicles can overcome these problems due to the soft and flexible nature of polymers. Herein we will highlight the recent progress and the crucial steps needed to fabricate active and adaptive motor systems for their use in biomedical applications and our approach to reach this goal. This includes the formation of active, asymmetric vesicles and the incorporation of a catalyst, together with their potential in biological applications and the challenges still to overcome.