No Use Crying Over Spilt Oil?

The oil released from grounded tankers has devastated coastal areas in many parts of the planet, causing damage to tourism and wildlife (especially marine birds and cetaceans). Until now, the mechanisms for dealing with spills have been quite primitive. They have included the use of booms to prevent the oil moving into new areas, scooping the sludge from the water surface and spraying with chemical surfactants (which often, themselves, cause damage to the organisms living in the location). Workers at North-Western University, Illinois are developing a new approach (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/29/robots-and-magnetic-soap-scientists-rethink-oil-spill-clean-ups). They have devised a special sponge with a coating of magnetic nanostructres and a carbon-based surface. The sponge attracts oil but repels water. It can, apparently, hold 30 times its own weight of oil and retains this material even when subjected to vigorous wave action. The sponge material can then be collected from the water surface by robotic means without damaging organisms in the area.