Blood metabolite strongly suppresses motion of electrochemically deposited catalytic self-propelled microjet engines

Potential applications of self-propelled catalytic microjet engines in biomedical fields require the ability of microjets to perform tasks in various media, particularly in blood. Here, we show uric acid, a metabolite which is present in blood at a relatively low concentration, acts as a fuel stabilizer and radical scavenger that dramatically reduces the mobility of electrodeposited microjets. These findings would provide significant reference for the development of biomedical applications of electrodeposited microjets. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.