Publication detail

Reconfigurable self-assembly of photocatalytic magnetic microrobots for water purification

URSO, M. USSIA, M. PENG, X. ORAL, Ç. PUMERA, M.

Original Title

Reconfigurable self-assembly of photocatalytic magnetic microrobots for water purification

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

The development of artificial small-scale robotic swarms with nature-mimicking collective behaviors represents the frontier of research in robotics. While microrobot swarming under magnetic manipulation has been extensively explored, light-induced self-organization of micro- and nanorobots is still challenging. This study demonstrates the interaction-controlled, reconfigurable, reversible, and active self-assembly of TiO2/α-Fe2O3 microrobots, consisting of peanut-shaped α-Fe2O3 (hematite) microparticles synthesized by a hydrothermal method and covered with a thin layer of TiO2 by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Due to their photocatalytic and ferromagnetic properties, microrobots autonomously move in water under light irradiation, while a magnetic field precisely controls their direction. In the presence of H2O2 fuel, concentration gradients around the illuminated microrobots result in mutual attraction by phoretic interactions, inducing their spontaneous organization into self-propelled clusters. In the dark, clusters reversibly reconfigure into microchains where microrobots are aligned due to magnetic dipole-dipole interactions. Microrobots’ active motion and photocatalytic properties were investigated for water remediation from pesticides, obtaining the rapid degradation of the extensively used, persistent, and hazardous herbicide 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4D). This study potentially impacts the realization of future intelligent adaptive metamachines and the application of light-powered self-propelled micro- and nanomotors toward the degradation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) or micro- and nanoplastics

Keywords

2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid; ferric oxide; herbicide; hydrogen peroxide; nanoplastic; pesticide; titanium dioxide

Authors

URSO, M.; USSIA, M.; PENG, X.; ORAL, Ç.; PUMERA, M.

Released

1. 11. 2023

Publisher

Springer Nature

ISBN

2041-1723

Periodical

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS

Year of study

14

Number

1

State

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Pages from

1

Pages to

13

Pages count

13

URL

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-42674-9

Full text in the Digital Library

http://hdl.handle.net/11012/245174

BibTex

@article{BUT186980,
  author="Mario {Urso} and Martina {Ussia} and Xia {Peng} and Çaǧatay Mert {Oral} and Martin {Pumera}",
  title="Reconfigurable self-assembly of photocatalytic magnetic microrobots for water purification",
  journal="NATURE COMMUNICATIONS",
  year="2023",
  volume="14",
  number="1",
  pages="13",
  doi="10.1038/s41467-023-42674-9",
  issn="2041-1723",
  url="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-42674-9"
}