Department of Nanoengineering, University of California, San Diego , La Jolla, California 92093, United States.
ACS Nano. 2014 Nov 25;8(11):11118-25. doi: 10.1021/nn505029k. Epub 2014 Oct 10.
Threats of chemical and biological warfare agents (CBWA) represent a serious global concern and require rapid and efficient neutralization methods. We present a highly effective micromotor strategy for photocatalytic degradation of CBWA based on light-activated TiO2/Au/Mg microspheres that propel autonomously in natural water and obviate the need for external fuel, decontaminating reagent, or mechanical agitation. The activated TiO2/Au/Mg micromotors generate highly reactive oxygen species responsible for the efficient destruction of the cell membranes of the anthrax simulant Bacillus globigii spore, as well as rapid and complete in situ mineralization of the highly persistent organophosphate nerve agents into nonharmful products. The water-driven propulsion of the TiO2/Au/Mg micromotors facilitates efficient fluid transport and dispersion of the photogenerated reactive oxidative species and their interaction with the CBWA. Coupling of the photocatalytic surface of the micromotors and their autonomous water-driven propulsion thus leads to a reagent-free operation which holds a considerable promise for diverse "green" defense and environmental applications.
化学和生物战剂（CBWA）的威胁是一个严重的全球关注问题，需要快速有效的中和方法。我们提出了一种基于光激活 TiO2/Au/Mg 微球的高效微马达策略，用于 CBWA 的光催化降解，该微球在自然水中自主推进，无需外部燃料、去污剂或机械搅拌。激活的 TiO2/Au/Mg 微马达会产生高反应性氧物种，负责有效破坏炭疽模拟芽孢杆菌孢子的细胞膜，并将高持久性有机磷神经剂迅速且完全原位矿化为无害产物。TiO2/Au/Mg 微马达的水驱动推进有助于有效地传输和分散光生的活性氧化物种，并促进它们与 CBWA 的相互作用。微马达的光催化表面与自主水驱动推进相结合，实现了无试剂操作，这为各种“绿色”防御和环境应用带来了巨大的希望。
