Microplastics, tiny plastic debris, pose a severe threat to human health and the environment. They contaminate water sources, endangering both aquatic and terrestrial life. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed a novel solution: a sustainable hydrogel designed to remove these microplastics.
This three-layer hydrogel incorporates chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyaniline, creating an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) architecture. Embedded nanoclusters of copper substitute polyoxometalate (Cu-POM) act as catalysts, degrading microplastics using UV light.
The hydrogel demonstrated high efficiency, removing approximately 95% and 93% of two different microplastic types at a near-neutral pH. Rigorous testing confirmed its durability and stability across various temperatures and microplastic concentrations. A fluorescent dye was added to microplastics to track their removal and degradation.
The research also addressed the difficulty of detecting microplastics due to their small size. The use of a fluorescent dye allowed for precise monitoring of the hydrogel's effectiveness under different conditions.