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Self‐Propelled Activated Carbon Janus Micromotors for Efficient Water Purification
Author(s) -
JuradoSánchez Beatriz,
Sattayasamitsathit Sirilak,
Gao Wei,
Santos Luis,
Fedorak Yuri,
Singh Virendra V.,
Orozco Jahir,
Galarnyk Michael,
Wang Joseph
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201402215
Subject(s) - janus , adsorption , activated carbon , carbon fibers , materials science , chemical engineering , catalysis , janus particles , nanotechnology , microporous material , particle (ecology) , water treatment , chemistry , organic chemistry , environmental engineering , composite material , environmental science , oceanography , geology , composite number , engineering
Self‐propelled activated carbon‐based Janus particle micromotors that display efficient locomotion in environmental matrices and offer effective ‘on‐the‐fly’ removal of wide range of organic and inorganic pollutants are described. The new bubble‐propelled activated carbon Janus micromotors rely on the asymmetric deposition of a catalytic Pt patch on the surface of activated carbon microspheres. The rough surface of the activated carbon microsphere substrate results in a microporous Pt structure to provide a highly catalytic layer, which leads to an effective bubble evolution and propulsion at remarkable speeds of over 500 μm/s. Such coupling of the high adsorption capacity of carbon nanoadsorbents with the rapid movement of these catalytic Janus micromotors, along with the corresponding fluid dynamics and mixing, results in a highly efficient moving adsorption platform and a greatly accelerated water purification. The adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms have been investigated. The remarkable decontamination efficiency of self‐propelled activated carbon‐based Janus micromotors is illustrated towards the rapid removal of heavy metals, nitroaromatic explosives, organophosphorous nerve agents and azo‐dye compounds, indicating considerable promise for diverse environmental, defense, and public health applications.