Publication detail

Chemically programmable microrobots weaving a web from hormones

DĚKANOVSKÝ, L. KHEZRI, B. ROTTNEROVÁ, Z. NOVOTNÝ, F. PLUTNAR, J. PUMERA, M.

Original Title

Chemically programmable microrobots weaving a web from hormones

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

The occurrence of synthetic and natural hormones in an aqueous environment poses significant risks to humans because of their endocrine-disrupting activity. Autonomous self-propelled and remotely actuated nano/microrobots have emerged as a new field that encompasses a wide range of potential applications, including sensing, detection and elimination/degradation of emerging pollutants. In this work, we develop programmable polypyrrole-based (PPy, outer functional layer) microrobots incorporated with a Pt catalytic layer and paramagnetic iron nanoparticles (Fe3O4) to provide self-propulsion and a magnetic response for the highly efficient removal of oestrogenic pollutants. As the pH of the tested water alters, the surface charge of PPy/Fe3O4/Pt microrobots gradually changes, leading to affinity modulation. As microrobots move inside the solution, they collect oestrogen fibres and subsequently weave macroscopic webs on the surface. Our results suggest that motion-controllable microrobots with adjustable surface chemistry could provide a suitable platform for the highly efficient removal of hormonal pollutants. Microrobots are usually too small to contain traditional computing substrates that could control their behaviour. Dekanovsky and colleagues have developed a microrobot swarm that removes hormonal pollutants when it senses a chemical signal in its environment.

Keywords

STEROID-HORMONES; POLYPYRROLE; WATER; MICROMOTORS; DEGRADATION; EFFLUENTS; REMOVAL; CAPTURE; SEWAGE

Authors

DĚKANOVSKÝ, L.; KHEZRI, B.; ROTTNEROVÁ, Z.; NOVOTNÝ, F.; PLUTNAR, J.; PUMERA, M.

Released

1. 11. 2020

Publisher

SPRINGERNATURE

Location

LONDON

ISBN

2522-5839

Periodical

Nature Machine Intelligence

Year of study

2

Number

11

State

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Pages from

1

Pages to

13

Pages count

13

URL

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-020-00248-0

BibTex

@article{BUT176861,
  author="Lukáš {Děkanovský} and Bahareh {Khezri} and Zdeňka {Rottnerová} and Filip {Novotný} and Jan {Plutnar} and Martin {Pumera}",
  title="Chemically programmable microrobots weaving a web from hormones",
  journal="Nature Machine Intelligence",
  year="2020",
  volume="2",
  number="11",
  pages="1--13",
  doi="10.1038/s42256-020-00248-0",
  issn="2522-5839",
  url="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-020-00248-0"
}