Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Biohybrid Magnetically Driven Microrobots for Sustainable Removal of Micro/Nanoplastics from the Aquatic Environment

Researchers developed biohybrid microrobots by coating biological cells with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, enabling them to capture and remove micro- and nanoplastics from water using magnetic steering. The microrobots effectively captured plastic particles through electrostatic interactions and could be collected with a magnet after use. The study presents an innovative and sustainable approach to cleaning up plastic pollution in aquatic environments.

2023 Advanced Functional Materials 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Magnetically DrivenLiving Microrobot Swarms for AquaticMicro- and Nanoplastic Cleanup

Researchers engineered magnetotactic bacteria-based microrobots capable of three-dimensional swarming motions guided by magnetic fields to capture micro- and nanoplastics from water. The living microrobots successfully captured plastics from commercial products including polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and rubber microplastics, offering a bio-inspired cleanup strategy.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Low-Energy Photoresponsive Magnetic-Assisted Cleaning Microrobots for Removal of Microplastics in Water Environments

Researchers developed tiny light-powered magnetic microrobots that can actively seek out and collect microplastics from water, achieving 98% removal efficiency in under two minutes. The microrobots can be guided using magnetic fields and recovered for reuse, making the approach both effective and eco-friendly. This technology could eventually help clean microplastics from water sources before they reach people, though it is still at the laboratory stage.

2024 ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Magnetically Driven Living Microrobot Swarms for Aquatic Micro- and Nanoplastic Cleanup

Scientists developed tiny magnetically controlled bacterial microrobots that can swarm together to capture and remove micro- and nanoplastics from water. These living robots use natural swimming motion combined with magnetic guidance to collect plastic particles from various commercial products in aquatic environments. This innovative technology could lead to new ways of cleaning up microplastic pollution before it enters drinking water and the food chain.

2025 ACS Nano 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Self-driven magnetorobots for recyclable and scalable micro/nanoplastic removal from nonmarine waters

Researchers developed self-driven magnetorobots using magnetizable ion-exchange resin spheres that can dynamically remove micro- and nanoplastics from nonmarine waters, overcoming limitations of conventional chemical flocculation and physical filtration methods.

2022 Science Advances 108 citations
Article Tier 2

Reconfigurable Magnetic Liquid Metal Microrobots: A Regenerable Solution for the Capture and Removal of Micro/Nanoplastics

Scientists developed magnetically controlled liquid metal microrobots that can capture and remove micro- and nanoplastics from water. The tiny robots can change shape, be steered with magnets, and be regenerated for reuse, offering a potential new technology for cleaning plastic pollution from water sources before it reaches people.

2024 Advanced Functional Materials 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Magnetic and electrical techniques for the effective removal of microplastics and nanoplastics

This review covers the latest advances in using magnetic and electrical methods to remove microplastics and nanoplastics from the environment, including magnetic iron-based and carbon-based materials, magnetic micro-robots, electrocoagulation, electrosorption, and electrokinetic separation. These physical and electrochemical approaches are gaining traction as efficient, chemical-free alternatives to conventional filtration. The review helps identify which removal technologies are most promising for large-scale water treatment applications.

2026 Journal of Environmental Management
Article Tier 2

Advances in magnetic materials for microplastic separation and degradation

This review examines how magnetic materials can be used to capture and break down microplastics in water. Different types of magnetic particles, including iron nanoparticles and tiny magnetic robots, can attract and remove microplastics with high efficiency. These technologies could be important for cleaning up microplastic-contaminated water supplies and reducing human exposure through drinking water.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Are micro/nanorobots an effective solution to eliminate micro/nanoplastics in water/wastewater treatment plants?

Researchers reviewed micro/nanorobots as an emerging strategy for removing microplastics from water, finding that while these tiny magnetically or optically driven devices can capture particles through electrostatic interactions, their high cost, fuel dependence, low plastic degradation efficiency, and risk of secondary pollution currently limit practical deployment.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Magnetic Microrobot Swarms with Polymeric Hands Catching Bacteria and Microplastics in Water

Scientists developed tiny magnetic robots with polymer coatings that can swarm together and capture both bacteria and microplastics from water. The robots self-assemble into rotating formations when exposed to magnetic fields, effectively sweeping up contaminants as they move. This technology offers a promising new approach for cleaning microplastics from water supplies, which could help reduce human exposure to these pollutants.

2024 ACS Nano 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Micro and Nanoplastics from Water Using Magnetic Nanoparticles: A Review

This review evaluates the use of magnetic nanoparticles as a technology for removing micro- and nanoplastics from water. Researchers found that magnetic nanoparticles can effectively capture plastic particles through surface interactions and be easily separated from water using magnets. The study suggests this approach offers a promising and energy-efficient method for cleaning microplastic-contaminated water, though challenges remain in scaling it for real-world applications.

2024 Preprints.org 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging Applications of Magnetic Nanomaterials in the Remediation of Microplastics from the Aquatic Environment

This review examined the use of magnetic nanomaterials for removing microplastics from aquatic environments, summarizing how magnetic separation can efficiently capture plastic particles for remediation purposes. The authors highlight magnetic nanomaterials as a promising and scalable tool for microplastic cleanup.

2023 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Remediation strategies for micro/nanoplastic pollution using magnetic nanomaterials

This review surveys recent developments in using magnetic nanomaterials, such as iron oxide nanoparticles and magnetic composites, to remove micro- and nanoplastics from water and soil. These materials can capture plastic particles through adsorption, help clump them together for removal, or even break them down, and they can be magnetically recovered for reuse. The study highlights that magnetic nanomaterials offer a promising approach for cleaning up plastic pollution, though challenges remain in scaling up for real-world use.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Magnetically DrivenLiving Microrobot Swarms for AquaticMicro- and Nanoplastic Cleanup

This is a duplicate entry for the magnetically driven living microrobot study (same paper as ID 9516), describing bacterial microrobots for aquatic micro- and nanoplastic cleanup.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Magnetically DrivenLiving Microrobot Swarms for AquaticMicro- and Nanoplastic Cleanup

This is a duplicate entry for the magnetically driven living microrobot study (same paper as ID 9516), describing bacterial microrobots for aquatic micro- and nanoplastic cleanup.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Magnetically DrivenLiving Microrobot Swarms for AquaticMicro- and Nanoplastic Cleanup

This is a duplicate entry for the magnetically driven living microrobot study (same paper as ID 9516), describing bacterial microrobots for aquatic micro- and nanoplastic cleanup.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Magnetically DrivenLiving Microrobot Swarms for AquaticMicro- and Nanoplastic Cleanup

This is a duplicate entry for the magnetically driven living microrobot study (same paper as ID 9516), describing bacterial microrobots for aquatic micro- and nanoplastic cleanup.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Magnetically DrivenLiving Microrobot Swarms for AquaticMicro- and Nanoplastic Cleanup

This is a duplicate entry for the magnetically driven living microrobot study (same paper as ID 9516), describing bacterial microrobots for aquatic micro- and nanoplastic cleanup.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Efficient removal of microplastics from aqueous solution by a novel magnetic biochar: performance, mechanism, and reusability

Researchers developed a magnetic biochar from rice husks that achieved 99.96% removal of microplastics from water, with the material showing excellent reusability and performance under various environmental conditions.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro/nanorobots for remediation of water resources and aquatic life

Not relevant to microplastics — this review covers micro/nanorobot technologies for water pollution control, focusing on propulsion methods and decontamination mechanisms for biological and chemical pollutants broadly, with only passing mention of plastics.

2023 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Magneto-PhotothermalSynergistic Hydrophobicity Nanoplatformfor Efficient Enrichment and Ultrasensitive Detection of Micro-Nanoplastics

Researchers developed a hydrophobic magnetic nanoplatform that integrates multiple functions, achieving microplastic removal efficiencies of 93.8% for larger particles and 87.2% for nanoplastics in ultrapure water, while also enabling ultrasensitive detection of the captured particles.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Magneto-Photothermal Synergistic Hydrophobicity Nanoplatform for Efficient Enrichment and Ultrasensitive Detection of Micro-Nanoplastics

Researchers developed a hydrophobic magnetic nanoplatform that integrates multiple functions, achieving microplastic removal efficiencies of 93.8% for larger particles and 87.2% for nanoplastics in ultrapure water, while also enabling ultrasensitive detection of the captured particles.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Removal and Degradation by Mussel‐Inspired Adhesive Magnetic/Enzymatic Microrobots

Researchers developed tiny magnetic microrobots inspired by mussel adhesive chemistry that can capture and break down microplastics in water. The microrobots use a sticky polydopamine coating to grab microplastic particles and an enzymatic component to degrade them. The study demonstrates a novel, biocompatible approach to actively removing microplastic pollution from aquatic environments, offering a potential alternative to passive filtration methods.

2021 Small Methods 142 citations
Article Tier 2

Multimodal collective swimming of magnetically articulated modular nanocomposite robots

Researchers built small magnetic robots from carbon nanotube frameworks coated in a magnetic polymer composite, demonstrating that groups of these robots can swim cooperatively at high speed and generate water vortices capable of collecting and transporting floating microplastics — pointing toward collective robotic approaches for environmental cleanup.

2022 Nature Communications 49 citations