Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Fabrication and Characterization of Biomass-derived Superabsorbent Bio-gel

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper develops and tests bio-based superabsorbent gels made from carboxymethyl cellulose as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based superabsorbent polymers for water retention applications.

2023 Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry 6 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

Scalable Bamboo Fiber/Microfibrillated Cellulose Foam via Solvent‐Exchange‐Assisted Ambient Drying for Highly Efficient Microplastics Capture

Researchers developed a scalable bamboo fiber and microfibrillated cellulose foam for capturing microplastics from water, achieving 99.4% filtration efficiency with high flow rates. The foam was fabricated using an energy-efficient ambient drying process without toxic crosslinkers, and demonstrated excellent reusability and effectiveness across various plastic types and real water samples. The study presents a sustainable, high-performance approach to microplastic remediation in aquatic environments.

2025 Advanced Functional Materials 6 citations
Article Tier 2

High-performance amino-crosslinked phosphorylated microcrystalline cellulose/MoS2 hybrid aerogel for polystyrene nanoplastics removal from aqueous environments

Researchers fabricated a porous aerogel from phosphorylated cellulose and molybdenum disulfide nanosheets functionalized with polyethyleneimine and showed it removes carboxyl-modified polystyrene nanoplastics from water with an adsorption capacity of 402 mg/g, maintaining performance across a range of water chemistries and remaining reusable after multiple cycles.

2025 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-based foams with low density and thermal conductivity through ethyl cellulose and SiO2 stabilized Pickering emulsion templating

Researchers developed fully bio-based foams using ethyl cellulose and SiO2 to stabilize Pickering emulsions as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastic foams that shed microplastics. Optimized curing conditions (80°C, 3h, 3% benzoyl peroxide) produced low-density, low-thermal-conductivity porous foams with potential to replace conventional plastic foams in insulation and packaging.

2025 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanocellulose sponges embedding metal oxide nanoparticles for adsorption and photodegradation of microplastics

Researchers created magnetic nanocellulose sponges embedding iron oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles to capture and photodegrade microplastics from water. The hydrophobic sponges showed high adsorption capacity for polystyrene microplastics and could be magnetically recovered and regenerated.

2025 Chemosphere 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Preparation of spherical microparticles composed of cellulose nanofiber and cellulose diacetate via Pickering emulsion templating

Researchers fabricated spherical microparticles from TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers and cellulose diacetate using Pickering emulsion templating, producing bio-based particles with potential applications as sustainable functional materials.

2023 BioResources 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Hydrophobic, Sustainable, High-Barrier Regenerated Cellulose Film via a Simple One-Step Silylation Reaction

Researchers developed hydrophobic, high-barrier regenerated cellulose films through a simple one-step gas-solid silylation reaction, creating a sustainable and biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based plastic packaging films.

2023 Polymers 14 citations
Article Tier 2

An ultra-light sustainable sponge for elimination of microplastics and nanoplastics

Researchers created an ultra-light sponge from corn starch and gelatin that can capture micro- and nanoplastics from water and food with up to 90% efficiency by simple pressing. The sponge is fully biodegradable and can be broken down by enzymes into glucose after use. The study presents a low-cost, sustainable tool for removing tiny plastic particles from contaminated environments without creating additional waste.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Valorization of wood pulp to mechanically strong and biodegradable packaging foams by wet foaming process

Researchers developed biodegradable packaging foams from wood pulp and lignin using a wet foaming process, optimizing surfactant concentration and foaming time to achieve densities as low as 0.013 g/cm3 and porosities up to 99.2% as sustainable alternatives to expanded polystyrene.

2024
Article Tier 2

A Chitosan Nanofiber Sponge for Oyster-Inspired Filtration of Microplastics

An ultralight chitosan nanofiber sponge was developed as a filtration material for removing microplastics from water, inspired by oyster filtration biology, and demonstrated high removal efficiency for polystyrene microplastics in lab tests while being biodegradable and made from renewable chitosan feedstock.

2021 ACS Applied Polymer Materials 66 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

A Biodegradable Composite of Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) with Short Cellulose Fiber for Packaging

Researchers developed biodegradable composite materials by incorporating short cellulose fibers into PHBV biopolymer, addressing the polymer's narrow processing window and improving its suitability for sustainable packaging applications.

2023 Materials Research 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Fully Biobased, BiodegradableSuperabsorbent PolymersBased on Citric Acid and Sorbitol

Researchers developed a series of fully biobased, biodegradable superabsorbent polymers from citric acid, its sodium salt, and sorbitol using polycondensation followed by thermal cross-linking without external cross-linking agents. The resulting materials were comprehensively characterized and demonstrated potential as sustainable alternatives to conventional petroleum-based superabsorbent polymers.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

A Scalable and Surfactant-Free Emulsion Method for Producing Microbeads from Varied Biomass Feedstocks

Researchers developed a scalable, surfactant-free emulsion method for producing microbeads from non-derivatized biomass such as cellulose, offering a biodegradable alternative to plastic microbeads still used in personal care and consumer products despite national and international regulations.

2024 Langmuir
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable composites based on well-characterized cellulose and poly (butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate)

Researchers developed biodegradable cellulose/PBAT composite films using a silane compatibilizer and one-step reactive extrusion, achieving improved thermal stability, barrier properties, and mechanical performance compared to unmodified blends, making them a promising sustainable alternative to conventional plastic packaging.

2023 BioResources 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Design of Bio-Composite Membranes for Dual Contaminant Separation and Environmental Remediation

This study developed a cellulose acetate composite membrane capable of simultaneously removing both microplastics/nanoplastics and oil contaminants from water using an environmentally benign fabrication process, offering a multifunctional alternative to conventional single-target treatment systems.

2025
Article Tier 2

A layer-by-layer assembled superhydrophobic composite aerogel for rapid and high-capacity removal of microplastics from beverages

A superhydrophobic composite aerogel was synthesized using a layer-by-layer strategy combining an "egg-box" cellulose nanofiber network with silicone polymers, achieving an impressive polystyrene microplastic adsorption capacity of 555.5 mg/g within 100 minutes—driven primarily by hydrophobic interactions—and demonstrating high stability and reusability for microplastic removal from beverages.

2025 Materials Horizons 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Cellulose processing in ionic liquids from a materials science perspective: turning a versatile biopolymer into the cornerstone of our sustainable future

This review covers two decades of research on processing cellulose using ionic liquids to create functional materials. The study provides guidance from a materials science perspective on turning this versatile biopolymer into sustainable material solutions.

2023 Green Chemistry 123 citations
Article Tier 2

Green Preparation of Flexible and Transparent SiO2-Fe2O3-PS film for Dye Adsorption and UV-Shielding Applications

Researchers developed a multifunctional polymer nanocomposite film made from waste polystyrene and natural materials that can absorb dyes and block UV radiation. Repurposing plastic waste into useful materials like this could help reduce the amount of plastic that fragments into microplastics in the environment.

2023
Article Tier 2

Mucin-Inspired Thermogels for Programmable Nanoplastic Removal in Water Purification

Researchers developed mucin-inspired amphiphilic bottlebrush copolymers that form thermally responsive hydrogels capable of capturing nanoplastics from water, achieving removal efficiencies of 68–100% for polystyrene nanoparticles (20–1,000 nm), with a reversible gel-syneresis cycle enabling both passive filtration and particle recovery for trace analysis.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Mucin-Inspired Thermogels for Programmable Nanoplastic Removal in Water Purification

Researchers developed mucin-inspired amphiphilic bottlebrush copolymers that form thermally responsive hydrogels capable of capturing nanoplastics from water, achieving removal efficiencies of 68–100% for polystyrene nanoparticles (20–1,000 nm), with a reversible gel-syneresis cycle enabling both passive filtration and particle recovery for trace analysis.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Eco‐Friendly and Self‐Sanitizing Microporous Cellulose Sponge (MCS)‐Based Cooling Media for Mitigating Microbial Cross‐Contamination in the Food Cold Chain

Researchers developed an eco-friendly microporous cellulose sponge-based cooling medium with self-sanitizing properties for use in food cold chain transport. The study addresses how melting ice during transport can promote microbial cross-contamination, offering a sustainable alternative that avoids microplastic-releasing synthetic materials.

2024 Advanced Science 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesis and characterization of novel thermoresponsive suspensions via physical adsorption of poly[di(ethylene glycol) methyl methacrylate] onto polystyrene microparticles

Researchers synthesized thermoresponsive polystyrene microsphere suspensions with reversible gel-forming properties for potential biomedical applications. While focused on engineered microparticles for medical use, this study also contributes understanding of how polystyrene microplastics behave in aqueous environments.

2023 Designed Monomers & Polymers 1 citations