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Published on: October 13, 2019
Bioinspired phase-change micromotors with buoyancy-switchable vertical migration for efficient microplastic capture
Dang Zhang1, Mengying Zhang1, Bohan Song2
1State Key Laboratory of Urban-rural Water Resources and Environment, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Inorganic Fibers and Composites, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China. zhangxingwen@hit.edu.cn.
Abstract:
This study presents bioinspired paraffin@Fe3O4 phase-change micromotors for efficient microplastic capture. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles embedded in the paraffin matrix convert near-infrared light into heat, inducing a reversible solid-liquid phase transition. Paraffin melting lowers the effective density of the micromotors and drives their ascent, whereas solidification causes sinking. This reversible vertical migration enhances the efficiency of microplastic capture, providing a simple, fuel-free platform for active microplastic remediation in aqueous environments.
