Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Collective Behaviors of Isotropic Micromotors: From Assembly to Reconstruction and Motion Control under External Fields

This review covers collective behaviors of self-propelled isotropic micromotors that can be guided by external fields such as light or magnetic forces. These micromotor systems have potential applications for capturing and removing microplastic particles from contaminated water.

2023 Nanomaterials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Micromachines for Microplastics Treatment

This review summarizes advances in micro- and nanomotor devices for microplastic removal from aquatic environments, describing how these tiny machines can be powered by chemical fuels or light to propel themselves and capture or degrade plastic particles. The authors identify scalability and environmental safety as key challenges for transitioning from laboratory demonstrations to real-world applications.

2022 ACS Nanoscience Au 44 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
Article Tier 2

Propulsion Mechanisms in Magnetic Microrobotics: From Single Microrobots to Swarms

This review examines the propulsion mechanisms of magnetic microrobots, from individual units to coordinated swarms, including their structural design and control methods. Researchers discuss how these tiny robots can be directed using external magnetic fields for tasks like targeted drug delivery and water purification. The technology has potential applications for environmental cleanup, including removing microplastics and other pollutants from water.

2025 Micromachines 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Self-propelled micro/nanomotors for removal of insoluble water contaminants: microplastics and oil spills

This frontier review examines the capabilities of self-propelled micro/nanomotors for removing oil spills and plastic-based pollutants from water, discussing working mechanisms, current limitations, and future research directions for deploying these autonomous systems in environmental remediation.

2021 Environmental Science Nano 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Self-Propelled Janus Microdimer Swimmers under a Rotating Magnetic Field

Researchers designed self-propelling microscopic swimmers powered by rotating magnetic fields, with potential uses in medicine and environmental monitoring. While not directly about microplastics, this micro-robotics technology could eventually be applied to detecting or removing contaminants at the microscale.

2019 Nanomaterials 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Magnetic Nanorobots for Microplastics Remediation

This review highlights how magnetically controlled nanorobots — functionalized with hydrophobic coatings, biochar, and carbon-based materials — can remove microplastics from water with efficiencies exceeding 90% in minutes. Bioinspired designs mimicking biological swarm behavior offer reusable, eco-friendly alternatives to conventional remediation strategies.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Microrobots Powered by Multi-Physics Field for Biomedical and Environmental Applications

Not relevant to microplastics — this review surveys multi-physics-field-driven microrobots for biomedical and environmental applications such as targeted drug delivery and pollutant degradation, with microplastic removal mentioned only in passing as one of many potential environmental uses.

2024 Micromachines 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Photophoretic MoS2–Fe2O3 Piranha Micromotors for Collective Dynamic Microplastics Removal

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.

2024 ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 14 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

Swarm Robotics: Past, Present, and Future [Point of View]

This article reviews the history, current state, and future directions of swarm robotics, which involves coordinating large groups of robots inspired by natural systems like insect colonies and bird flocks. While not directly related to microplastic research, swarm robotics technologies have potential applications in environmental monitoring and pollution cleanup efforts.

2021 Proceedings of the IEEE 334 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

Collective motion of Nafion-based micromotors in water

This paper is not directly about microplastics — it describes self-propelling microswimmers made from Nafion polymer that move through ion exchange in water, with potential applications in water remediation.

2023 Faraday Discussions 9 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

Recent Advancements in Multimodal Chemically Powered Micro/Nanorobots for Environmental Sensing and Remediation

This review covers recent developments in chemically powered micro- and nanorobots designed for environmental sensing and pollution cleanup. Researchers describe how these tiny self-propelling machines can detect and capture pollutants including microplastics, heavy metals, and organic contaminants in water. The study highlights the potential of nanorobot technology as an emerging tool for environmental remediation, though challenges in scalability and real-world deployment remain.

2025 Chemosensors 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Micromotors of MnO2 for the Recovery of Microplastics

Researchers synthesized MnO2 particles and evaluated their use as micromotors powered by chemical reactions for the removal of microplastics from aquatic environments. The MnO2 micromotors demonstrated autonomous movement and effective capture of microplastic particles, offering a novel active remediation approach for plastic-contaminated water.

2024 Micromachines 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro/nanorobots for efficient removal and degradation of micro/nanoplastics

This paper reviews how tiny self-propelled robots at the micro and nanoscale could be used to capture and remove microplastics from water. These robots can be designed to target specific types of plastic particles and move through water on their own, offering advantages over traditional filtration methods. While still in early development, this technology could eventually provide a practical way to reduce microplastic contamination in drinking water and aquatic environments.

2023 Cell Reports Physical Science 32 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

Magnetically steerable iron oxides-manganese dioxide core–shell micromotors for organic and microplastic removals

Magnetically steerable iron oxide-manganese dioxide core-shell micromotors were developed for active removal of contaminants from water. The micromotors could be guided using an external magnetic field to collect and remove pollutants, including microplastics, in a targeted and recoverable manner.

2020 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 142 citations
Article Tier 2

Degradation of Microplastics by Microbial in Combination with a Micromotor

Scientists developed a new approach combining tiny self-propelled motors with bacteria to speed up microplastic degradation, achieving faster breakdown than biological methods alone. The micromotors help break plastic surfaces into smaller pieces that bacteria can then digest more efficiently. While still in early stages, this technology could offer a more effective and environmentally friendly way to clean up microplastic pollution compared to traditional chemical methods.

2025 ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 6 citations