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The effects of functional groups on the sorption of naphthalene on microplastics
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This study compared how naphthalene and its functional group derivatives (hydroxyl, amino, and nitro) sorb onto different microplastic types, finding that functional groups substantially alter sorption affinity in ways that depend on both the plastic type and the chemical modification.
Ubiquitous microplastics were recognized as an ideal carrier for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to spread in nature or transfer to biota, thus posing risks to human health. However, little is known about how the functional groups in PAH derivatives influence their sorption onto microplastics as compared to parent PAHs. This study investigated the sorption of naphthalene (NAP) and its derivatives onto polystyrene microspheres with (MP-COOH) or without (MP) surface modification of the carboxyl group. NAP derivatives with charged groups (e.g., -NH, -OH and -COOH) reached the sorption equilibrium more early than NAP and its derivative with an uncharged group (e.g., -CH), whereas their sorption capacities (K = 6.0-8.4 L/g for MP, K = 4.5-6.3 L/g for MP-COOH) were significantly lower than that of the latter (K = 11.6-12.0 L/g for MP, K = 9.4-10.0 L/g for MP-COOH). The inhibition of charged groups on sorption could be attributed to their facilitation on molecular polarity and, thus, their lower hydrophobicity (LogK) since hydrophobicity was the crucial factor controlling the sorption of NAP and NAP derivatives onto both MP and MP-COOH. Computational modeling further showed that charged functional groups would weaken the π-π interaction or strengthen the repulsion between NAP or NAP derivative molecule and MP or MP-COOH molecule, which might also contribute to the suppressed sorption. This study provides new insight into the affinity of PAH derivatives with microplastics, which, therefore, improves our understanding of the environmental fates of microplastics and the organic pollutants.
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Researchers investigated how naphthalene and its methyl and hydroxyl derivatives adsorb onto high-density polyethylene microplastics, finding that functional group type significantly influences adsorption behavior through different thermodynamic and kinetic mechanisms.
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Researchers examined how functional groups on PAHs influence adsorption onto HDPE microplastics, finding hydroxyl and methyl substituents altered naphthalene binding behavior.
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