Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Advances in metal-organic frameworks for microplastic removal from aquatic environments: Mechanisms and performance insights

Researchers reviewed over 65 studies on using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) — highly porous, sponge-like materials — to remove microplastics from water, finding some MOFs achieved up to 98% removal efficiency and could be reused six times, making them a promising filtration technology for microplastic pollution.

2025 Results in Chemistry 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Ultralight sponge made from sodium alginate with processability and stability for efficient removal of microplastics

Researchers developed an ultralight sponge made from sodium alginate, a natural seaweed-derived material, that can efficiently capture and remove microplastics from water. The sponge demonstrated high water absorption and strong microplastic removal capabilities while remaining stable and reusable. The study suggests this low-cost, biodegradable material could be a practical solution for filtering microplastic pollution from marine environments.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Metal–organic framework-based foams for efficient microplastics removal

Scientists developed foam materials made from zirconium metal-organic frameworks that can efficiently capture microplastics from water, offering a promising filtration approach for water treatment applications. The porous foam structure provides high surface area for trapping plastic particles.

2020 Journal of Materials Chemistry A 268 citations
Article Tier 2

Removal of Polystyrene Microplastics from Aqueous Solution Using the Metal–Organic Framework Material of ZIF-67

Researchers demonstrated that the metal-organic framework ZIF-67 can effectively adsorb polystyrene microplastics from aqueous solutions, achieving high removal efficiency and suggesting MOF materials as a promising approach for microplastic removal from wastewater.

2022 Toxics 164 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics removal from aqueous environment by metal organic frameworks

This review examines how metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of advanced porous materials, can remove 70-99.9% of microplastics from water in laboratory settings. MOFs can be customized with specific pore sizes and chemical properties to target different types of microplastics. While challenges remain with cost and scaling up, this technology shows promise for developing more effective water treatment systems to reduce human exposure to microplastics in drinking water.

2023 BMC Chemistry 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics Removal from Water using Metal–Organic Framework: Investigation of Adsorption Mechanisms, Kinetics, and Effective Environmental Parameters

Researchers developed a metal-organic framework material that can remove 96% of nanoplastics from water through an adsorption process. The material works by attracting the negatively charged nanoplastic particles to its surface through electrostatic forces and can be regenerated for repeated use. This technology could provide a practical solution for removing the tiniest and most dangerous plastic particles from drinking water.

2023 ACS Applied Engineering Materials 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Engineering green MOF-based superhydrophobic sponge for efficiently synchronous removal of microplastics and pesticides from high-salinity water

Engineers developed a special sponge coated with a metal-organic framework that can simultaneously remove both microplastics and pesticides from salty water. The sponge repels water but captures plastic particles and breaks down pesticides using light-activated chemical reactions, and it can be reused multiple times. This technology could help clean up coastal and agricultural water sources where microplastics and chemical pollutants coexist, reducing human exposure through drinking water and seafood.

2023 Water Research 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Revivable self-assembled supramolecular biomass fibrous framework for efficient microplastic removal

Scientists developed a sustainable material made from chitin and cellulose, two natural compounds, that can efficiently remove multiple types of microplastics from water. The material can be regenerated and reused multiple times without losing effectiveness, making it a practical tool for water cleanup. This type of affordable, eco-friendly filtration technology could help reduce human exposure to microplastics in drinking water.

2024 Science Advances 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Inherently Micro/Nano‐Patterned and Hydrophobic‐Hydrophilic Inlay Natural Material Assembly for Efficient Nanoplastics Removal

Researchers developed an eco-friendly sponge made from natural pollen and chitin that can efficiently remove nanoplastics from contaminated water. The material achieved an adsorption capacity of over 236 milligrams per gram by combining hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties to attract and trap tiny plastic particles. The study demonstrates that nature-inspired materials could offer a sustainable and effective approach to cleaning nanoplastic pollution from wastewater.

2025 Advanced Functional Materials 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Nature-derived hydrogel for microplastic removal

Scientists developed a nature-based hydrogel made from chitin and lignin that can remove nanoplastics from wastewater with very high efficiency, absorbing up to 1,791 milligrams of plastic per gram of material. This sustainable, reusable filter could help reduce the amount of tiny plastic particles that reach drinking water and ultimately the human body.

2025 Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Polydopamine-modified sodium alginate hydrogel for microplastics removal: Adsorption performance, characteristics, and kinetics

Scientists created a hydrogel made from seaweed-based sodium alginate coated with polydopamine that can remove up to 99.6% of microplastics from drinking water. The hydrogel works regardless of the microplastics' size or surface charge, and it can be reused multiple times, making it a promising low-cost tool for reducing microplastic exposure through tap water.

2025 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging Porous Materials for Adsorptive Removal of Microplastics and Nanoplastics from Aquatic Environments: A Review

This review summarizes recent advances in using porous materials, including sponges, aerogels, hydrogels, metal-organic frameworks, and carbon-based adsorbents, to remove microplastics and nanoplastics from water. Researchers found that adsorption using these materials is a promising, cost-effective approach that outperforms conventional water treatment methods for plastic particle removal. The study identifies key challenges and future research directions for developing practical adsorbents for real-world plastic pollution mitigation.

2025 ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Highly Efficient, Recyclable Microplastic Adsorption Enabled by Chitin Hydrogen Bond Network Rearrangement

Scientists developed a foam made from chitin, a natural material found in seafood shells, that can absorb over 400 milligrams of nano-sized microplastics per gram of material, even in saltwater. This recyclable, sustainable approach could help clean microplastics from ocean water, and the recovered plastic can be converted into useful products.

2024 Advanced Functional Materials 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Dialdehyde modified and cationic aerogel for efficient microplastics adsorption from environmental waters

Scientists developed a plant-based aerogel material that can efficiently absorb microplastics from water, achieving removal rates above 90% across a wide range of water conditions. The material maintained its effectiveness after eight reuse cycles, making it a practical and eco-friendly solution. This type of technology could help reduce microplastic levels in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs that supply drinking water.

2023 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable sponges made from chitin-cellulose nanofibers for sustainable removal of microplastics from aquatic environment

Researchers developed a biodegradable sponge made from chitin and cellulose nanofibers that can remove up to 93% of microplastics from water. The sponge maintained strong performance after four reuse cycles and naturally biodegraded in soil environments. The study presents a sustainable, eco-friendly approach to cleaning microplastic contamination from aquatic ecosystems without introducing additional persistent pollutants.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Hybrid Chitin-Coffee Ground Biochar Foam for Microplastic Adsorption

Researchers developed a sustainable hybrid foam made from waste seafood chitin and used coffee ground biochar for filtering microplastics from water. The study found that the foam achieved consistently high adsorption efficiency across seawater, river water, and deionized water, particularly for polystyrene microspheres larger than 1 micrometer, offering an eco-friendly approach to microplastic removal.

2026 American journal of student research.
Article Tier 2

Biobased Composite Aerogels for Efficient Flow-Through Capture of Nanoplastics via Multimodal Interfacial Interactions

Scientists created a new sponge-like filter made from natural materials that can remove nearly 100% of tiny plastic particles from water. These nanoplastics are so small they're invisible to the naked eye but pose potential health risks when they get into drinking water. The filter works efficiently with very little energy, offering a promising way to clean up water contaminated with plastic pollution.

2026 ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
Article Tier 2

The Uptake Potential of Santa Barbara Amorphous Silica/Zeolite Composite for Environmental Microplastics in Wastewater

Researchers developed a silica-zeolite composite material designed to capture and remove microplastics from wastewater. They tested the material's ability to adsorb different types of environmental microplastics and found promising uptake capacity. The study offers a potential new tool for addressing microplastic contamination in water treatment systems.

2024 ACS ES&T Water 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Enzyme_Metal‐Organic Framework Composites as Novel Approach for Microplastic Degradation

Researchers developed a new approach to breaking down microplastics by embedding a plastic-degrading enzyme inside a metal-organic framework, a porous crystalline material. The combined system eliminated 37% of a common plastic degradation product from contaminated water within 24 hours through both enzymatic breakdown and adsorption. The method could potentially be reused across multiple treatment cycles, offering a more practical and cost-effective strategy for cleaning microplastic pollution from water.

2024 ChemSusChem 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable and re-usable sponge materials made from chitin for efficient removal of microplastics

Researchers developed biodegradable sponges made from chitin, a natural material, that can effectively remove tiny microplastic particles smaller than 3 micrometers from water. The sponges achieved removal rates of up to 92% and could be reused for multiple cycles while remaining safe for aquatic organisms. This green approach offers a promising, environmentally friendly method for cleaning microplastics from water systems.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 214 citations
Article Tier 2

Loofah plant—Derived biodegradable superhydrophobic sponge for effective removal of oil and microplastic from water

Researchers developed biodegradable superhydrophobic sponges from loofah plants coated with natural wax that removed over 99% of oil and polystyrene microplastics from water, with high absorption capacity and excellent recyclability through simple squeezing.

2023 Environmental Technology & Innovation 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Metal–organic framework applications for microplastic remediation: exploring pathways and future potential

This review examines how metal-organic frameworks (specialized porous materials) can be used to capture and remove microplastics from water. Microplastics are emerging contaminants that threaten aquatic ecosystems and human health. The paper explores different remediation pathways and the future potential of these advanced materials for cleaning up microplastic pollution.

2025 Journal of Materials Chemistry A 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) for Adsorption and Degradation of Microplastics

This review examines metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of porous materials, as a promising technology for capturing and breaking down microplastics in water. MOFs offer advantages over traditional filtration because they can be designed to target specific plastic types and sizes. While still mostly tested in laboratories, MOF-based approaches could help close the gap in water treatment where conventional methods fail to remove the smallest and most harmful microplastic particles.

2025 Microplastics 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Engineered magnetic metal-organic frameworks for efficient and broad-spectrum adsorption of micro/nanoplastics in beverages

Scientists developed a magnetic material that can remove up to 98% of micro and nanoplastics from beverages, including different plastic types and sizes. The material works through a simple magnetic separation process and can be reused multiple times while maintaining good performance. This technology could help reduce human exposure to microplastics in drinks like water, juice, and other beverages.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations