Academician Ion Tighineanu and his colleagues from the Institute of Electronic Engineering and Nanotechnologies of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova and National Center for Materials Study and Testing of the Technical University of Moldova made a remarkable contribution to the development of titanium dioxide nanotubes and devices on their basis. In particular, the technology for the growth of ordered titanium dioxide nanotubes at low temperature, proposed in 2010, reached an international resonance, being highly appreciated by the Nanotechweb.org portal in London (http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/tech/42313) and highlighted on the Cover of the scientific journal Physica Status Solidi – Rapid Research Letters (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pssr.v4:5/6/issuetoc).

 

According to the belief of academician Tighineanu, the most enigmatic phenomena are hiden in the labyrint of interactions between nano-objects. In this context the researcher proposed and elaborated, in premiere, micro-submarines consisting of networks of TiO₂ nanotubes with capabilities for transportation in a controlled fashion of micro- and nano-capsules in fluid media.

 
The micro-submarines of academician Tighineanu are based on integration of titanium dioxide nanotubes, having cone-like internal cavities, in a quasi-ordered network which exhibits self-propulsion abilities in water-solutions under ultraviolet irradiation. The self-propulsion is supported by the ejection, through wide ends of nanotubes, of oxygen bubbles generated in nanotubes due to photocatalytic properties of TiO₂. The academician and his colleagues dr. Mihail Enachi, Vlad Ciobanu and Vitalie Postolache, in close collaboration with the research group of professor Oliver Schmidt from Germany (dr. Maria Guix, prof. Vladimir Fomin), demonstrated a remarkable capacity of the submarine, namely that of cargo, i.e. the capacity to pick up and transport micro-objects. In the process of movement, the micro-submarine captures the particles on its way and keep them attached to the narrow ends of some nanotubes, while other nanotubes from the network continue to play the role of nano-engines, i.e. continue to contribute to the propulsion of the submarine. The release of captured particles occurres when the ultravilet illumination is switched of. The cargo phenomenon, generated by the synergetic interaction between tens and even hundreds of network-integrated nanotubes, opens enormous opportunities for the implementation of nanotechnologies in biomedicine and accelleration of the development of micro-nanorobotics for various applications in fluidic media.   

 

The technological accomplishment of academician Ion Tighineanu and his colleagues was highly appreciated by the Nanotechweb.org portal (http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/tech/66446), being subsequently highlighted on the Cover of international journal Small (Wiley) having 8.3 impact factor (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smll.201670203/full). It is an exceptional scientific achievement, a technological accomplishment with multidisciplinary character, and also a wonderful promotion of the image of our country at the international level.

 

 Acad. Mircea BOLOGA
Acad. Ion BOSTAN