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Efficient microplastics adsorption in aqueous environments via bidirectional ordered graphene oxide/nanocellulose aerogels
Summary
Researchers developed a new material made from graphene oxide and nanocellulose that can effectively remove microplastics from water. The aerogel absorbed up to 241 milligrams of microplastics per gram of material and maintained over 80% efficiency after 20 reuse cycles. This kind of reusable filter technology could help reduce the amount of microplastics reaching drinking water sources and the food chain.
Microplastics not only accumulate various harmful substances but also are ingested by marine organisms and humans, causing immeasurable impacts. Therefore, the removal of microplastics has become a crucial proposition for addressing the issue of microplastic pollution. This study investigated a bidirectional ordered graphene oxide (GO)/nanocellulose aerogels (D-DPGG) to remove microplastics from water bodies. The concentration of microplastics before and after adsorption was measured using a fluorescence spectrophotometer. D-DPGG aerogel exhibited excellent adsorption performance for microplastics (241.56 mg/g) and maintained high adsorption efficiency (>80 %) over 20 cycles of adsorption testing. Additionally, the link between GO and dual-directional treatment significantly improved the aerogel microstructure. It had an apparent layered structure in the transverse direction and improves the mechanical properties. D-DPGG aerogel not only served as an effective solution in adsorption but also held promise as a novel material in directional structural design.