Superhydrophobic Materials and Intermolecular Forces for Microplastics Removal

Microplastics present a major global environmental issue. The pollution of seas and oceans by microplastics highlights the urgent need to explore sustainable technologies for removing these pollutants from water. Nowadays, various studies are investigating methods to remove microplastics from water, but while these techniques are effective for larger microplastics, they often struggle to capture smaller particles. Recently, to address this challenge, superhydrophobic materials have been explored. These materials can efficiently remove microplastics from water due to their unique wetting properties, achieving removal efficiencies close to 100%. Various types of superhydrophobic materials, such as sponges, meshes, and particulate materials, have been used to remove microplastics under different conditions and environments. This review will highlight the most recent advances in superhydrophobic materials for effectively removing microplastics, as well as review key studies to better understand the microplastic removal mechanism and the intermolecular forces between these solid pollutants and superhydrophobic surfaces.