2026-03-10 ロイヤルメルボルン工科大学（RMIT）
The RMIT team’s Electronic Dolphin minibot, a proof‑of‑concept device designed to skim oil from the surface of water, featuring a front‑mounted nozzle and compact dolphin‑like body. Credit: Peter Clarke, RMIT University
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/2026/mar/electronic-dolphin-minibot
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smll.202512846
遠隔油水分離のための多機能スーパーウェッティングウニ模倣ナノシートベースインターフェース Multifunctional Superwetting Sea-Urchin-Mimetic Nanosheet-Based Interface for Remote Oil-Water Separation
Surya Kanta Ghadei, Madhu Bhaskaran, Sharath Sriram, Ramasamy Sakthivel, Md. Ataur Rahman
Small Published: 25 January 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202512846
ABSTRACT
Rapid and large-scale oil spill remediation remains an urgent environmental and technological challenge. Here, we present a transformative, multifunctional bio-inspired platform for on-site, remotely actuated, and contactless oil-water separation that integrates an advanced membrane with electronics deployment. Here, we present a sea-urchin-mimetic, fluorine/silane-free composite that enables remote, on-site oil-water separation through molecular-level modulation of surface energy and hierarchical roughness through micro/nano structures. The architecture integrates oleic acid-functionalized barium carbonate (FBC) with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets, where FBC introduces polar–nonpolar asymmetry and spine-like protrusions, while rGO contributes ultra-low surface energy and electron-delocalized reinforcement. This dual design stabilizes a metastable Cassie–Baxter state by coupling air entrapment with π–π-driven energy minimization at the solid–liquid interface, resulting in extreme water repellency (WCA > 150°) and instantaneous oil affinity (OCA ≈ 0°). The coating exhibits exceptional corrosion inhibition (>90%) in simulated seawater, self-cleaning against complex biofluids and beverages, and high-capacity oil uptake (15–65 g/g) with >97% efficiency and recyclability after repeated use. Integrated into a dolphin-inspired, Wi-Fi-controlled mini-bot system, this material enables remotely controlled, contactless oil recovery, establishing a new paradigm in adaptive, non-messy, hazard-free oil-spill remediation in contaminated zones.
