Biomimetic Nanobots for Autonomous and Eco-Friendly Heavy Metal Soil Remediation

Heavy metal contamination of soil poses a persistent risk to agriculture, ecosystems, and human health. Existing remediation approaches such as phytoremediation and electrokinetic treatment are often slow, expensive, or environmentally disruptive. This work presents a framework for biomimetic nanobots designed for targeted and eco-friendly soil remediation. The proposed architecture integrates a graphene-based outer capsule, gold nanolens-CNT sensing interfaces, compartmentalized pseudo-organelles inspired by bacterial metal-resistance mechanisms, DNA-polystyrene bead actuators for locomotion, and a CNT-based NanoIoT sensing port.The framework is developed alongside a critical architectural analysis of existing nanobotbased remediation approaches, identifying key limitations related to scalability, regeneration, and ecological containment in soil environments. Preliminary computational modelling conducted using VMD, NAMD and Python validate the feasibility of key modules. A technology readiness assessment places the components between TRL 1 and TRL 4, outlining a structured path toward experimental realization.