Seawater-driven magnesium based Janus micromotors for environmental remediation

Abstract

We describe the use of seawater as fuel to propel Janus micromotors. The new micromotors consist of biodegradable and environmentally friendly magnesium microparticles and a nickel-gold bilayer patch for magnetic guidance and surface modification. Such seawater-driven micromotors, which utilize macrogalvanic corrosion and chloride pitting corrosion processes, eliminate the need for external fuels to offer efficient and prolonged propulsion towards diverse applications in aquatic environments.