Abstract
The growing use of plastic materials has led to the continuous accumulation of wastes in marine environments, which fragment into hazardous micro-and nanoplastics. These plastic particles absorb toxic organic pollutants on their surface, support bacterial biofilms growth, and propagate through the food chain, posing serious risks for human health. Therefore, nano/microplastics pollution has become a global issue, making their definitive elimination compulsory. Self-propelled nano/microrobots have demonstrated efficient removal of nano/microplastics from water, combining enhanced physicochemical properties of nano/microscale materials and active motion. During the last year, the potential of this technology to degrade nano/microplastics has been investigated. Here, the most advanced strategies for nano/microplastics capture and subsequent degradation by autonomous nano/microrobots are critically reviewed. A short introduction to the main propulsion mechanisms and experimental techniques for studying nano/microplastics degradation is also provided. Forthcoming challenges in this research field are discussed proactively. This perspective inspires future nano/microrobotic designs and approaches for water purification from nano/microplastics and other emerging pollutants.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 2112120 |
Journal | Advanced Functional Materials |
Volume | 32 |
Issue number | 20 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2022 May 13 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:M.P. was supported by Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (Czech Republic) grant LL2002 under ERC CZ program. M.U. acknowledges the financial support by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska‐Curie grant agreement No. 101038066.
Funding Information:
M.P. was supported by Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (Czech Republic) grant LL2002 under ERC CZ program. M.U. acknowledges the financial support by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101038066.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Chemistry(all)
- Materials Science(all)
- Condensed Matter Physics