Premium
Smartdust 3D‐Printed Graphene‐Based Al/Ga Robots for Photocatalytic Degradation of Explosives
Author(s) -
Khezri Bahareh,
Villa Katherine,
Novotný Filip,
Sofer Zdeněk,
Pumera Martin
Publication year - 2020
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.202002111
Subject(s) - graphene , materials science , surface modification , photocatalysis , robot , nanotechnology , graphitic carbon nitride , degradation (telecommunications) , picric acid , explosive material , adsorption , fabrication , computer science , chemical engineering , catalysis , chemistry , organic chemistry , artificial intelligence , medicine , telecommunications , alternative medicine , pathology , engineering
Milli/micro/nanorobots are considered smart devices able to convert energy taken from different sources into mechanical movement and accomplish the appointed tasks. Future advances and realization of these tiny devices are mostly limited by the narrow window of material choices, the fuel requirement, multistep surface functionalization, rational structural design, and propulsion ability in complex environments. All these aspects call for intensive improvements that may speed up the real application of such miniaturized robots. 3D‐printed graphene‐based smartdust robots provided with a magnetic response and filled with aluminum/gallium molten alloy (Al/Ga) for autonomous motion are presented. These robots can swim by reacting with the surrounding environment without adding any fuel. Because their outer surface is coated with a hydrogel/photocatalyst (chitosan/carbon nitride, C 3 N 4 ) layer, these robots are used for the photocatalytic degradation of the picric acid as an explosive model molecule under visible light. The results show a fast and efficient degradation of picric acid that is attributed to a synergistic effect between the adsorption capability of the chitosan and the photocatalytic activity of C 3 N 4 particles. This work provides added insight into the large‐scale fabrication, easy functionalization, and propulsion of tiny robots for environmental applications.