Research & Development World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

First microsubmarines designed to help clean up oil spills

By R&D Editors | May 2, 2012

MicroSub

The simple nanomachine-enabled oil collection method is based on modifying microtube engines with a superhydrophobic layer able to adsorb oil by means of its strong adhesion to a long chain of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols created on the rough gold outer surface of the device. Credit: American Chemical Society

Scientists
are reporting development and successful testing of the first
self-propelled “microsubmarines” designed to pick up droplets of oil
from contaminated waters and transport them to collection facilities.
The report concludes that these tiny machines could play an important
role in cleaning up oil spills, like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident
in the Gulf of Mexico. It appears in the journal ACS Nano.

Joseph
Wang and colleagues explain that different versions of microengines
have been developed, including devices that could transport medications
through the bloodstream to diseased parts of the body. But no one has
ever shown that these devices—which are about 10 times smaller than the
width of a human hair—could help clean up oil spills. There is an urgent
need for better ways of separating oil from water in the oceans and
inside factories to avoid releasing oil-contaminated water to the
environment. Wang’s team developed so-called microsubmarines, which
require very little fuel and move ultrafast, to see whether these small
engines could help clean up oil.

Tests
showed that the cone-shaped microsubmarines can collect droplets of
olive oil and motor oil in water and transport them through the water.
The microsubs have a special surface coating, which makes them
“superhydrophobic,” or extremely water-repellent and oil-absorbent.
“These results demonstrate the potential of the
superhydrophobic-modified microsubmarines for facile, rapid and highly
efficient collection of oils in oil-contaminated water samples,” say the
researchers.

The
authors acknowledge funding from the National Science Foundation, NATO
Science for Peace and Security Program, Spanish MICINN, Beatriu de Pinós
(Government of Catalonia) and University of Alcalá (Madrid).

Superhydrophobic Alkanethiol-Coated Microsubmarines for Effective Removal of Oil

Source: American Chemical Society

Related Articles Read More >

Floating solar mats clean polluted water — and generate power
New AI model offers faster, adaptive CO₂ retrieval from satellite data
8 major R&D moves this week: Samsung invests record $24B while Porsche cuts 3,900 jobs
Ex-Google AI team launches “Generation,” an AI-driven fragrance venture
rd newsletter
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, trends, and strategies in Research & Development.
RD 25 Power Index

R&D World Digital Issues

Fall 2024 issue

Browse the most current issue of R&D World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading R&D magazine today.

Research & Development World
  • Subscribe to R&D World Magazine
  • Enews Sign Up
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing
  • Global Funding Forecast

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search R&D World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE