Algae‐MOF Biohybrid Microrobots for Rapid and Efficient On‐The‐Fly Degradation of Chemical Warfare Agents
Chuanrui Chen, Samar S. Sandhu, Javier Bujalance‐Fernández, Janna Sofía Sage‐Sepúlveda, Víctor de la Asunción‐Nadal, Tomohiro Yamamoto, Zhigan Zhou, Nelly Askarinam, Yihan Che, Hao Luan, Shichao Ding, Kaichun Wu, Beatriz Jurado‐Sánchez, Alberto Escarpa, Liangfang Zhang, Joseph Wang
Abstract
Abstract Active matter systems have emerged as powerful tools for enhancing chemical processes, with significant potential in environmental remediation. This study introduces a biohybrid algae microrobot covalently functionalized with catalytic UiO‐66‐NH 2 zirconium‐based metal‐organic framework (Zr‐MOF) nanoparticles for the rapid and efficient “on‐the‐fly” hydrolysis of toxic organophosphorus chemical warfare agents (CWA) simulants. Such algae‐MOF biohybrid microrobots achieve highly efficient degradation of CWA simulants by overcoming the limitations of conventional diffusion‐limited processes. Their autonomous, long‐lasting motion ensures extensive spatial coverage of Zr‐MOF nanoparticles across contaminated solutions, while their active hydrodynamic stirring significantly enhances mass transport and reaction kinetics. The biohybrid microrobots accelerate the catalytic hydrolysis of methyl paraoxon (DMNP, G‐type simulant) and demeton‐S‐methyl (DMTS, V‐type simulant), achieving 92.16% and 84.82% degradation in 6 and 1.5 h, respectively, and outperforming the static algae‐MOF and free MOF nanoparticles. The enhanced degradation efficiency and reusability of the algae‐MOF microrobots across various environmental conditions are carefully examined. These innovative algae‐MOF microrobots, bolstered by the high tunability of MOF catalysts, hold considerable potential for advancing environmental remediation of hazardous chemicals.