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Programmable Photocontrolled Nanomotor Swarming and Patterning for Targeted Microplastic Capture.
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Researchers developed light-controlled nanomotors that can be programmed to swarm together under UV irradiation, efficiently capturing and coagulating dispersed polystyrene and polypropylene microplastics into visible clumps for collection, offering a new strategy for removing microplastics from aquatic environments.
The pervasive accumulation of microplastics in aquatic environments presents escalating ecological challenges, yet their small size and dispersibility hinder efficient removal using conventional technologies. Here, we report a programmable, light-responsive nanomotor based on 9-(methylaminomethyl)anthracene (9-MMA) functionalized, cobalt-doped ZIF-90. The nanomotors exhibit autonomous propulsion in dilute hydrogen peroxide and undergo reversible, light-controlled swarming and deswarming behavior under alternating 365 and 265 nm irradation, driven by 9-MMA photodimerization and photodissociation. UV laser-guided photopatterning further enables spatially programmable swarming, allowing precise control over dynamic aggregation zones and macroscale pattern formation. Upon 365 nm exposure, the swarming nanomotors efficiently bind and coaggregate dispersed polystyrene (PS) and polypropylene (PP) microplastics into visible flocs, enabling enhanced collection. This study presents a new microplastic enrichment strategy that integrates nanomotor propulsion, dynamic swarming, and multifunctionality, offering new insights for environmental nanotechnology.
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Photophoretic MoS2–Fe2O3 Piranha Micromotors for Collective Dynamic Microplastics Removal
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Researchers developed novel MoS2-Fe2O3 micromotors that use light-driven motion to capture and degrade polystyrene microplastics in water. The micromotors demonstrated schooling behavior under solar light and achieved significant microplastic removal without requiring chemical fuel, suggesting a promising approach for environmental microplastic remediation.
A Maze in Plastic Wastes: Autonomous Motile Photocatalytic Microrobots against Microplastics
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Researchers developed sunlight-powered microrobots that can autonomously navigate through water channels, capture microplastic particles, and break them down through photocatalysis. The tiny robots combine photocatalytic and magnetic materials, allowing them to self-propel under visible light and be precisely guided with magnets. The study demonstrates a novel, energy-efficient approach to actively seeking out and degrading microplastic pollution in aquatic environments.
Photocatalytic collection and degradation of microplastics by self-asymmetric Pac-Man TiO2
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Researchers developed self-propelled photocatalytic micro-motors shaped like an asymmetric Pac-Man that can collect and degrade microplastics in water using light energy. The asymmetric design allowed the motors to actively swim, gather microplastic particles through phoretic attraction, and then photocatalytically break them down. This self-powered collection and degradation system represents a promising new approach to removing microplastics from water bodies.
Visible-light-sensitive microrobots using H2O as fuel for highly efficient capture and precise detection of nanoplastics
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Researchers developed a cage-like microrobot powered by visible light and water that captures nanoplastics from solution within two minutes and detects them at low concentrations using surface-enhanced Raman scattering, with the robot recoverable via magnet for reuse.
Photocatalytic TiO2 Micromotors for Removal of Microplastics and Suspended Matter
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Researchers developed titanium dioxide micromotor particles that can move autonomously using light energy and break down polystyrene microplastics through photocatalytic reactions. This active degradation approach could complement passive filtration methods for removing microplastics from contaminated water.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.