Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a novel system capable of actively removing microplastics from water in a single cycle. Their proof-of-concept study, published in Advanced Functional Materials, opens up new possibilities for tackling plastic pollution in oceans and other aquatic environments.
“Our goal was to create soft cleaning particles that disperse on their own in water, collect microplastics as they sink, and then rise back to the surface carrying the captured pollutants,” said Orlin Velev, the S. Frank and Doris Culberson Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State and senior author of the paper. “We demonstrated how multiple principles can work together in a single cycle to achieve this.”
The system is built around soft dendritic colloids—specially designed, branched particles made from polymers that readily adhere to surfaces, including microplastics. These sticky particles can function in wet and saline environments, making them well-suited for ocean conditions.
The research team, including first author and Ph.D. student Haeleen Hong, crafted the microcleaners from chitosan, a biodegradable polymer derived from chitin, which is found in shellfish waste. By using a marine-sourced and environmentally friendly material, the process aligns with principles of sustainability.
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When dry, the dendritic colloids form small pellets. These pellets are infused with a small amount of eugenol, a plant-based oil, which triggers movement when the pellets are introduced to water. The oil drives the particles forward via the "camphor boat effect," which lowers surface tension on one side of the pellet, propelling it across the water and helping it disperse over a larger area to capture microplastics.
To enable the microcleaners to return to the surface, the researchers incorporated magnesium particles. Once exposed to water, magnesium reacts by producing bubbles, lifting the microcleaners upward. However, to ensure the particles spend enough time underwater collecting microplastics, the magnesium is coated in a biodegradable gelatin layer. The thickness of this coating controls how long the particles remain submerged.
“As the gelatin coating dissolves, the magnesium activates, generating bubbles that carry the microcleaners—now loaded with microplastics—back to the surface in a dense scum layer,” Hong explained. In testing, the particles remained active for up to 30 minutes, collecting microplastics as they traveled through the water. Once at the surface, the particles can be easily removed by skimming.
The researchers suggest that the recovered material could potentially be recycled into new microcleaners, creating a closed-loop system. “The scum could be bioprocessed into more chitosan, allowing us to reuse the material and continue capturing microplastics,” Velev noted.
While the current study focuses on a lab-scale demonstration, the team emphasizes that further work is needed to scale the technology for real-world applications.
The paper was co-authored by former NC State Ph.D. student Rachel Bang and current Ph.D. student Lucille Verster.
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