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Adhesion-Driven Removal of Microplastics From Aquatic Systems by Using Microgel Glues
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DOI：10.1002/advs.75293.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Microplastics (MPs) in aquatic ecosystems represent an escalating environmental challenge. Particularly, those with particle sizes below 1 µm exhibit strong Brownian motion and stable surface hydration layers, which hinder aggregation and render them exceptionally difficult to remove. Inspired by biological adhesion, we propose an adhesion-driven co-precipitation strategy that utilizes a soft polymeric microgel as a “glue” to aggregate dispersed MPs. Upon adhesion, MPs undergo directional transport toward solid-liquid interfaces, where they accumulate into removable sediments. This adhesion-driven interfacial deposition and co-precipitation allows effective enrichment and physical separation of various types of microplastics, e.g., polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Remarkably, efficient removal (>90%) is retained even for nanoscale plastic particles as small as 50 nm. This strategy thus provides a broadly applicable and environmentally sustainable route for microplastic remediation in aquatic environments.
Keywords:
adhesion-driven aggregation
magnetic separation
microgel glues
microplastics removal
multivalent interactions