Materials for robotics
Salvador Pané i Vidal will start as Titular Professor of Materials for Robotics at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering on 1 January 2020. In his research the 39-year-old chemist from Barcelona combines materials science with robotics at small scales.
Your current research, which is supported by an ERC Grant, focuses on nanorobots that can produce electrical fields. Could you give us further insights into your project?
Salvador Pané i Vidal: We develop magnetoelectric micro- and nanorobots, which become electrically polarized under the application of an external magnetic field. The wirelessly generated electric field can then be used to electrostimulate cells for their enhanced proliferation or their differentiation. The ultimate goal is to create smart multifunctional nanorobots, which will electrostimulate the rewiring of the neural circuitry of the central nervous system. Another application is the use of magnetoelectricity to trigger or control chemical reactions.
What are the biggest challenges?
Controlling the electric field that can be generated on the magnetoelectric micro/nanorobot is crucial for fine controlling a particular process like for example cellular stimulation. In terms of material synthesis, this means that the fabrication process of the nanorobots must be optimized for achieving magnetoelectric architectures with the highest possible performance. Since these small-scale robots are meant to be used as therapeutic agents, the selection of materials becomes trickier since we have to choose biocompatible materials. If they are designed to be implanted in the body, they must be always stable. If they are designed to be excreted, they have to be small enough for the body to manage them safely. Below 10 nanometer (nm), nanostructures can be excreted renally (kidneys). Another challenge is to preserve the magnetoelectric features even when the material is miniaturized to micro- and nanoscales.
You joined ETH Zurich in 2008 and established the IRIS electrochemistry laboratory in 2010. Why do you like being a researcher at ETH Zurich?
ETH Zurich offers a wealth of opportunities and is a renowned institution in an excellent geographical location. In 2007, when I first came as a visiting doctoral student, I was fascinated to see that there were basically no limits to what I wanted to investigate. ETH provides one of the best ecosystems for scientists.
How do your responsibilities change with your new position as professor? And which tasks are you looking forward to in particular?
I will continue encouraging students through both my supervision and my lecture on Nanorobotics. I have been teaching this course at ETH for five years, and I am proud to see how many students, who had almost forgotten their knowledge of chemistry, regained interest due to my lecture. In the future, I plan to create a new course on electrochemical processing, which will include electrochemical techniques for fabrication such as electrodeposition or anodization.
Why did you originally choose to go into chemistry?
I loved how chemistry was taught in my high school “Jesuïtes de Casp” in Barcelona. From the very first day I entered my school`s chemical lab, I was fascinated by all the glassware. The room was old and it reminded me of an early twentieth century laboratory. When I came home I asked my mom, who was working in a pharmacy, if she could get me some flasks and beakers.
What motivated you to combine it with robotics?
For my doctoral thesis, I worked on the electrodeposition of magnetic alloys. At that time, Professor Brad Nelson was researching a similar problem at the University of Minnesota. Towards the end of my research, I received a grant from the Catalan Government for a lab visit in a foreign country. Since Brad Nelson had just started at ETH, I went to Switzerland and discovered the intriguing world of magnetic micro- and nanorobots there. Ever since, I`ve been applying my knowledge in electrochemical fabrication to small-scale robotics.
What do you recommend to students who want to pursue a career as a researcher? Which personal qualities do you need?
Curiosity, perseverance, and self-criticism are some of the qualities that I admire the most in students. The combination of these three usually results in hard, systematic, and original work.
What do you like best about living in Switzerland?
Being from Barcelona, I am more used to a bustling city. Switzerland is calmer. During my free time, I compose music for Catalan poems. So, silence is important for me. Switzerland also offers an amazing natural landscape crowned by the Alps, and combined with the remarkably well-conserved historical heritage comprising medieval fortresses and castles, magnificent rococo abbeys, and monasteries. One of my favorite places is the abbey of Einsiedeln. I also love the Art Nouveau buildings in Zürich.