Self-Propelled Multilayered Microrockets for Pollutants Purification

Self-propelled catalytic microrockets, capable of converting energy into movement and forces, are of great interest to address environmental problems, for example, remediation and monitoring pollutants. One typical application is to clean water efficiently. In this work, a self-propelled polymer-based microrocket, which can be used to remove organic pollutants in water, is developed. The effect of the concentration of hydrogen peroxide fuel on the velocity of the chemical powered microrocket is studied. The motion of microrockets at any required direction can be obtained by controlling the orientation of the applied magnetic field while the microrocket is propelled chemically. Removal of methyl-paraoxon and Rhodamine 6G is investigated to identify the efficiency of water purification due to the motion of multilayered microrockets. (C) 2015 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.