Micromotors of MnO<sub>2</sub> for the Recovery of Microplastics

Plastics, primarily microplastics, are among the greatest pollutants in aquatic environments. Their removal and/or degradation in these environments are crucial to ensure an optimal future of these ecosystems. In this work, MnO<sub>2</sub> particles were synthesized and characterized for...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Oscar Cervantes, Claudia Valtierra-Montiel, Laura Sampedro-Plata, Norberto Casillas, Nieves Menendez, Pilar Herrasti
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-01-01
Series:Micromachines
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/15/1/141
Description
Summary:Plastics, primarily microplastics, are among the greatest pollutants in aquatic environments. Their removal and/or degradation in these environments are crucial to ensure an optimal future of these ecosystems. In this work, MnO<sub>2</sub> particles were synthesized and characterized for the removal of polystyrene microplastics as a model. MnO<sub>2</sub> catalyzes the peroxide reaction, resulting in the formation of oxygen bubbles that propel the pollutants to the surface, achieving removal efficiencies of up to 80%. To achieve this, hydrothermal synthesis was employed using various methods. Parameters such as MnO<sub>2</sub>, pH, microplastics, and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> concentrations were varied to determine the optimal conditions for microplastics recovering. The ideal conditions for a low microplastic concentrations (10 mg L<sup>−1</sup>) are 0.2 g L<sup>−1</sup> MnO<sub>2</sub>, 1.6% of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> and 0.01 triton as a surfactant. In these conditions, the micromotors can recover approximately 80% of 300 nm sized polystyrene microplastic within 40 min.
ISSN:2072-666X