Kollofrath Dennis, Kuhlmann Florian, Requardt Sebastian, Krysiak Yaşar, Polarz Sebastian
Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
Nat Commun. 2025 Jul 21;16(1):6707. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-61899-4.
Microplastics pose a significant environmental challenge, causing harm to organisms through inflammation and oxidative stress. Although traditional adsorbents effectively capture pollutants, they are limited by their localized action and require laborious recycling processes. We introduce a buoyancy-driven hybrid hydrogel that functions as a self-regulating shuttle, capable of transporting and decomposing contaminants without external intervention. By leveraging thermally switchable buoyancy, the material cyclically ascends from the seabed to the water surface, facilitating pollutant degradation, before descending to restart the process. This motion is enabled by vinyl-functionalized porous organosilica and thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM), which allow for reversible gas bubble storage and precise control over ascent and descent dynamics. As a demonstration, we apply this platform to microplastic decomposition, where light-induced reactive oxygen species effectively degrade collected particles. Adjustments to catalyst concentration further optimize transport kinetics, enhancing efficiency across various conditions. While microplastic remediation showcases its capabilities, this shuttle represents a broadly adaptable system for sustainable pollutant removal and environmental remediation.
微塑料对环境构成了重大挑战，通过炎症和氧化应激对生物体造成伤害。尽管传统吸附剂能有效捕获污染物，但它们受限于局部作用，且需要繁琐的回收过程。我们引入了一种浮力驱动的混合水凝胶，它作为一种自我调节的穿梭体，能够在无需外部干预的情况下运输和分解污染物。通过利用热开关浮力，该材料周期性地从海底上升到水面，促进污染物降解，然后下降以重新开始这一过程。这种运动由乙烯基功能化的多孔有机硅和热响应性聚（N-异丙基丙烯酰胺）（pNIPAM）实现，它们允许可逆的气泡存储并精确控制上升和下降动力学。作为演示，我们将这个平台应用于微塑料分解，其中光诱导的活性氧能有效降解收集到的颗粒。调整催化剂浓度可进一步优化传输动力学，提高在各种条件下的效率。虽然微塑料修复展示了其能力，但这种穿梭体代表了一种广泛适用的系统，用于可持续的污染物去除和环境修复。
