Water is essential to life. Improving access to safe drinking-water can result in significant benefits to human health. However, environmental sustainability still represents a major challenge due to an increase in chemical contaminants originating from human activity and microbial waterborne diseases, which are caused by unclean and untreated water supply. Self-propelled micro and nanomotors have attracted significant attention in multidisciplinary fields including chemistry, physics and medicine. Here, we report different types of self-propelled micromotors as active systems for the capture, degradation and removal of different types of contaminants, such as dyes, heavy metals and pathogenic bacteria. Tubular micromotors self-propelled by the catalytic decomposition of peroxide in their inner Pt layer were employed. We have demonstrated the capability of rolled-up micromotors to degrade organic pollutants (dyes and phenol) by generation of hydroxyl radicals via a Fenton-like reaction. These micromotors can be reused several times for batch cleaning, swim continuously for hours, and be stored for weeks for later use. We have also reported electrochemically fabricated tubular graphene oxide (GOx)-based microbots, as active self-propelled systems for the capture, transfer, and removal of a heavy metal (i.e., lead) and its subsequent recovery for recycling purposes. Furthermore, after chemical detachment of lead from the surface of GOx-microbots, the microbots can be reused. Finally, we have demonstrated the cleaning of water contaminated with pathogenic bacteria using magnetic AgNPs based Janus particles (AgNPs-JP) made of Mg and one face of Au/Fe deposited by E-beam. These AgNPs-JPs are self-propelled by the production of hydrogen bubbles on one face by the reaction of magnesium with water. On the other face, AgNPs act as antibacterial agent killing pathogenic bacteria. After water cleaning, they are removed using the magnetic properties from the Fe layer. In conclusion, the versatility presented by micromotors makes them useful in the decontamination of a wide range of pollutants stimulating extensive research efforts in the field of micromotors based on environmental applications.

Micromotors as tools for efficient water decontamination

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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