Publication detail

Trapping and detecting nanoplastics by MXene-derived oxide microrobots

URSO, M. USSIA, M. NOVOTNÝ, F. PUMERA, M.

Original Title

Trapping and detecting nanoplastics by MXene-derived oxide microrobots

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

Nanoplastic water pollution represents an increasing concern. Here, photogravitactic MXene-derived microrobots are programmed to trap nanoplastics in the layered structure and magnetically transfer them to low-cost electrodes for further detection. Nanoplastic pollution, the final product of plastic waste fragmentation in the environment, represents an increasing concern for the scientific community due to the easier diffusion and higher hazard associated with their small sizes. Therefore, there is a pressing demand for effective strategies to quantify and remove nanoplastics in wastewater. This work presents the "on-the-fly" capture of nanoplastics in the three-dimensional (3D) space by multifunctional MXene-derived oxide microrobots and their further detection. A thermal annealing process is used to convert Ti3C2Tx MXene into photocatalytic multi-layered TiO2, followed by the deposition of a Pt layer and the decoration with magnetic gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles. The MXene-derived gamma-Fe2O3/Pt/TiO2 microrobots show negative photogravitaxis, resulting in a powerful fuel-free motion with six degrees of freedom under light irradiation. Owing to the unique combination of self-propulsion and programmable Zeta potential, the microrobots can quickly attract and trap nanoplastics on their surface, including the slits between multi-layer stacks, allowing their magnetic collection. Utilized as self-motile preconcentration platforms, they enable nanoplastics' electrochemical detection using low-cost and portable electrodes. This proof-of-concept study paves the way toward the "on-site" screening of nanoplastics in water and its successive remediation.

Keywords

micromotors; particles; removal

Authors

URSO, M.; USSIA, M.; NOVOTNÝ, F.; PUMERA, M.

Released

22. 6. 2022

Publisher

Springer Nature

Location

BERLIN

ISBN

2041-1723

Periodical

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS

Year of study

13

Number

1

State

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Pages from

3573-1

Pages to

3573-14

Pages count

14

URL

Full text in the Digital Library

Responsibility: Ing. Marek Strakoš