A critical review on micro- and nanomotors: Application towards wastewater treatment

Abstract

Micro- and nanomotors are synthetic devices that can transform varioussources of energy into motion. These devices perform specialized tasks as theypropel themselves in response to stimuli. The application of self-propelledmicro- and nanomachines in wastewater treatment has been of prime impor-tance in the last decade. Compared to static decontamination systems, micro-and nanomachines can remove or degrade water pollutants in a much morerapid way owing to higher diffusion rates and fluxes. The present reviewfocuses on the recent progress of micro- and nanomachines in wastewatertreatment and provides an overview of their structural features, synthesis pro-cedures, and propulsion mechanisms. We reviewed the applications of micro-and nanomachines to remove heavy metals, dyes, and organic pollutants fromwastewater. We also discussed the challenges micro- and nanomotors face dur-ing wastewater treatment, thus providing a holistic approach to the article.This article highlights the shortcomings as well as the opportunities for micro-and nanomotors-based technology in wastewater treatment.