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Skin-inspired cellulose-based hydrogel design with hydrophobic-conductive synergy for enhanced electrochemical nanoplastic removal
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Researchers engineered a skin-inspired composite hydrogel—mimicking the layered architecture of human skin—by combining carboxymethyl cellulose, polyacrylamide, butyl acrylate, and polyaniline, achieving 96% electrochemical removal of polystyrene nanoplastics from water at just 1 V through a synergy of hydrophobic, electrostatic, and π–π stacking interactions with high reusability.
In aquatic environments, traditional cellulose-based hydrogels face structure change challenges due to excessive swelling caused by hydrophilic groups, resulting in poor conductivity and limiting their electrochemical applications. To overcome these challenges, this study presents a bioinspired carboxymethyl cellulose/polyacrylamide/butyl acrylate/polyaniline (CMC/PAM/BA/PANI) composite hydrogel, mimicking the smart responsive interface of hydrophobic human skin. When applied in the electrochemical capture of nanoplastic in wastewater, the flexible CMC/PAM network resembles the subcutaneous layer as the substrate, the BA's hydrophobic long-chain esters allow for selective nanoplastic interaction, while the PANI component at the outmost surface enables conductive charge transfer for precise adsorption control, achieving a superior 96% removal efficiency for polystyrene nanoplastic (1 mg/L) at 1 V with good reusability. This biomimetic design synergistically combines electrostatic adsorption, hydrophobic interactions, and π-π stacking interactions. Mechanism studies reveal pseudo-second-order kinetics with Freundlich-dominated adsorption. The biomimetic design, inspired by skin's layered structure and functionality, achieves intelligent and efficient nanoplastic removal through precisely engineered interfacial interactions, offering new perspectives for advanced water purification technologies.
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Researchers fabricated a cellulose nanofibril-loaded filter paper composite and found it achieved over 93% removal efficiency for polystyrene, polypropylene, and PET microplastics through a combination of physical interception, electrostatic interactions, and hydrogen bonding.
Tailoring Interactions of Random Copolymer Polyelectrolyte Complexes to Remove Nanoplastic Contaminants from Water
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Researchers developed oppositely charged random copolymer polyelectrolyte complexes and demonstrated their ability to quantitatively remove nanoplastic contamination from aqueous solution, finding through computational simulations and quartz crystal microbalance experiments that hydrophobic nanostructures play a central role in the remediation mechanism.
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Researchers created a sponge-like gel made from treated cellulose and carbon nanotubes to pull both plastic particles and PFAS chemicals out of water. In lab tests, including river water samples, the material removed over 97% of both contaminants and kept working after five reuse cycles.
Functional Polymeric Materials for Micro- and Nanoplastic Removal from Waters
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Researchers reviewed functional polymeric materials — including hydrogels, polysaccharide aerogels, magnetic composites, and MOF-polymer systems — designed to remove micro- and nanoplastics from water, cataloguing how electrostatic, hydrophobic, and π–π stacking interactions drive removal and identifying scalability, fouling resistance, and standardization as the main barriers to real-world application.
Unveiling the removal mechanism of nanoplastics by hydroxyethylene diphosphonic acid modified sodium alginate three-dimensional membrane capsules: A combined experimental and DFT study
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Researchers synthesized three-dimensional sodium alginate membrane capsules modified with hydroxyethylene diphosphonic acid to capture nanoplastics from water, achieving over 80% removal efficiency across seven reuse cycles through a combination of hydrogen bonding, ligand exchange, and electrostatic attraction — with size selectivity favoring sub-100 nm particles.
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