Photocatalytic BiVO4 Microswimmers with Bimodal Swimming Strategies

Photocatalytic micromotors are developing rapidly and environmental applications seem very promising and within reach. However, the complex synthesis strategies, jointly with the large band gaps of most efficient swimmers inhibit both, applications and upscaling. Herein, a simple solvothermal synthesis of well defined, catalytically active BiVO4 microparticles, which can propel efficiently without asymmetrization is presented. Those microparticles respond to blue and UV light and are able to switch between different motion strategies, similar to bacterial microswimmers. These behavioral changes are controlled by changing the pH value of the environment.