Nano particles are the particles of size 10-9 m. The question is why to use nano-particles instead of the normal bulk? The answer to this question is that as we move towards the micro and nano scale this chemical properties change or become enhanced. Next question may be, why? As the more finer we go the effectiveness increase due to the large surface area. The particles at Nano-scale show very amazing properties which are intriguing the new researchers. They are wide applications in catalysis and the field of nano-medicine such as gold nano-particles . Nano-particles can be fabricated by several means from the bulk.

 A research from John Hopkins University demonstrates devices fabricated of nano-particles by the use of laser and several other techniques..

Due to unique inherent property of self assembly all of this become possible. First of all from the nano-particles the two dimensional structures have been prepared, they are heated until the hinges begin to melt. As the hinges melt, they ball up in order to minimize their surface area and since they are attached to the square faces this brings the faces together and eventually forms a cube, this arrangement of the molecules at nano level is due to unique property of “self assembly” of molecules just as in DNA.These polyhedral containers or grippers made up of nano-particles are used for the targeted drug delivery by encapsulation of drugs and remotely controlled  by the magnet and drug release by chemicals or chemical reactions occurring in organisms pertaining to space. By the synchronization of these two features Polyhedral micro grippers are attractive for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery in the body. For example the remote manipulation of a micro gripper into a capillary tube and remote retrieval of cell mass. Micro grippers are applicable to to capture living cells, such as in a biopsy. A hypothetical future biomedical application for these micro grippers is controlled movement throughout the body to carry out non-invasive procedures, such as a biopsy.

Contributed by: Ramsha Iftikhar
(The author is a student, writer and blogger.)