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Bioinspired phase-change micromotors with buoyancy-switchable vertical migration for efficient microplastic capture.
Summary
Scientists created tiny wax-based robots that use light to heat up, melt, and float up through water, then cool down and sink back, to grab microplastics as they move. This simple, energy-efficient design could offer a new tool for cleaning microplastics out of water supplies, which matters since these tiny plastic particles have been found in human blood, organs, and even breast milk, with still-unclear health effects.
This study presents bioinspired paraffin@FeO phase-change micromotors for efficient microplastic capture. The FeO nanoparticles embedded in the paraffin matrix convert near-infrared light into heat, inducing a reversible solid-liquid phase transition. Paraffin melting lowers the effective density of the micromotors and drives their ascent, whereas solidification causes sinking. This reversible vertical migration enhances the efficiency of microplastic capture, providing a simple, fuel-free platform for active microplastic remediation in aqueous environments.