We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Hydrophobic Interaction Effects on the Transport of a Model Nanoplastic in 2D and 3D Porous Media
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how hydrophobic interactions influence the transport and retention of model nanoplastic particles (hydrophobic ethyl cellulose nanoparticles) in 2D and 3D porous media, using extended DLVO calculations to show that hydrophobic attraction can drive irreversible attachment to hydrophobic surfaces and air-water interfaces even under electrostatic repulsion conditions unfavorable to attachment.
The attraction between a hydrophobic particle and a hydrophobic surface may be strong enough for irreversible attachment to take place, even under conditions of strong electrostatic repulsion (so called “unfavorable” attachment conditions). This fact has fundamental implications for the transport and retention of hydrophobic nano-colloids (i.e., nanoplastics) in subsurface aquatic environments, where hydrophobic surfaces and interfaces are ubiquitous. Inclusion of hydrophobic attraction in extended DLVO calculations of the total interaction potential between hydrophobic negatively charged ethyl cellulose nanoparticles (a model nanoplastic) and (i) glass surfaces rendered hydrophobic via treatment with octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) or (ii) naturally hydrophobic air-water interfaces, indicate the absence of a barrier to attachment and support an expectation of irreversible attachment. We present here a series of experiments in saturated and unsaturated 2D (pore networks etched on glass) and 3D (columns packed with glass beads) porous media which confirm this expectation. The ability of a continuum model accounting for advection, dispersion and irreversible attachment to describe the breakthrough curves is also tested. The results advance the ability to describe the fate of hydrophobic nano-colloids in porous media for a variety of applications.
More Papers Like This
Hydrophobic Interactions Drive the Attachment of a Model Nanoplastic on Hydrophobic Collector Surfaces
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used a model nanoplastic (charge-stabilized ethyl cellulose nanoparticles) in a glass pore network to demonstrate that hydrophobic interactions dominate nanoplastic attachment at solid-water and air-water interfaces in groundwater, establishing that hydrophobicity is a critical driver of nanoplastic fate and transport in the subsurface.
Hydrophobic Interactions Drive the Attachment of a Model Nanoplastic on Porous Media Surfaces
AI summary Read the abstract
When nanoplastics enter soil or groundwater, whether they stick to surfaces or keep moving depends on subtle surface chemistry — particularly how hydrophobic (water-repelling) both the particle and the surrounding material are. Using model nanoplastic particles in a miniature glass pore network, this study demonstrated that hydrophobic attraction can overpower the electrical repulsion that would otherwise keep nanoparticles suspended, causing irreversible attachment to surfaces. This insight is important for predicting how nanoplastics spread through underground water systems and whether they are likely to reach drinking water sources.
Nanoparticle transport in partially saturated porous media: Attachment at fluid interfaces
AI summary Read the abstract
This study used pore-network modeling to examine how hydrophobic nanoparticles -- including nanoplastics -- attach to fluid-fluid interfaces (air-water and oil-water) in partially saturated porous media, revealing fundamentally different attachment kinetics compared to solid-water interfaces. The results demonstrate that fluid interfaces act as efficient nanoparticle collectors that are largely bypassed by flowing water, with important implications for predicting nanoplastic transport and retention in unsaturated subsurface environments.
Using colloidal AFM probe technique and XDLVO theory to predict the transport of nanoplastics in porous media
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used atomic force microscopy to directly measure forces between individual nanoplastics and soil porous media, finding that surface chemistry (amino vs. carboxyl modification) strongly controlled nanoplastic transport, with results better predicted by direct force measurements than by theoretical models alone.
Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Nanoplastics Interacting with a Hydrophobic Environment in Aqueous Solution
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to study how nanoplastics interact with hydrophobic environments at the molecular scale. The simulations showed that nanoplastics of different polymer types have distinct interaction strengths with hydrophobic surfaces, which affects their environmental fate and partitioning behavior.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.