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

Abstract

Microplastic remediation in aquatic bodies is essential for the entire ecosystem, but is challenging to achieve with a universal and efficient strategy. Here, we developed a sustainable and environmentally adaptable adsorbent through supramolecular self-assembly of chitin and cellulose. This biomass fibrous framework (Ct-Cel) showcases an excellent adsorption performance for polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate. The affinity for diverse microplastics is attributed to the transformation of multiple intermolecular interactions between different microplastics and Ct-Cel. Meanwhile, the strong resistance of Ct-Cel to multiple pollutants in water enables an enhanced adsorption when coexisting with microorganisms and Pb²⁺. Moreover, Ct-Cel can remove 98.0 to 99.9% of microplastics in four types of real water and maintains a high removal efficiency of up to 95.1 to 98.1% after five adsorption cycles. This work may open up prospects for functional biomass materials for cost-efficient remediation of microplastics in complex aquatic environments.