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Surface-functionalised materials for microplastic removal
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This review covers surface-functionalized materials—materials engineered to have specific surface properties—as a promising approach to capturing and removing microplastics from water. Superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surface coatings can attract plastic particles and facilitate their removal from contaminated water.
Microplastic (MP) pollution is a matter of great concern attracting increasing attention due to its adverse effects on the environment. Different technologies and methodologies have been developed to remove these pollutants. Herein, we focus on a promising environmental solution that involves surface modification to change the wettability properties of MPs or solid materials by conferring superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity to increase the selectivity for MP separation. Both processes can be used to selectively separate MPs because of the changes in the wettable properties of the MP or by changing the oil used in the case of superhydrophobic surfaces. We show two distinct methods based on changing the wettability properties of surfaces that could lead to innovative and environmental applications. We also discuss some of the challenges that need to be overcome.
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This review examines the use of superhydrophobic materials—sponges, meshes, and particulate materials—for removing microplastics from water, highlighting their near-100% removal efficiency enabled by unique wetting properties. It identifies superhydrophobic materials as particularly promising for capturing small microplastic particles that conventional methods struggle to remove.
Durable Superhydrophobic Coating for Efficient Microplastic Removal
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Researchers developed a durable superhydrophobic (water-repelling) coating on aluminum that can efficiently capture and remove microplastic particles from water. The coating attracted microplastics at high removal rates and remained effective over multiple use cycles. This type of material could be incorporated into water treatment systems or filtration devices to reduce microplastic contamination in drinking water and wastewater.
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This review examined the application of superhydrophobic materials for removing a range of pollutants from water including dyes, oils, heavy metals, and microplastics. Superhydrophobic surfaces showed particular promise for oil-water separation and microplastic capture due to their water-repelling and selective adsorption properties.
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.
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Researchers created a water-repellent filter material, coating zeolite with special chemical layers, to capture microplastics from stormwater in lab tests. The modified material removed much more plastic (PP, PE, and PET) than untreated zeolite, with PET captured most effectively, and stayed water-repellent even under salty, acidic, or abrasive conditions.
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.