Micromotors of MnO[sub.2] for the Recovery of Microplastics

• Published in: Micromachines (Basel) 2024-01, Vol.15 (1)
• Main Authors: Cervantes, Oscar, Valtierra-Montiel, Claudia, Sampedro-Plata, Laura, Casillas, Norberto, Menendez, Nieves, Herrasti, Pilar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Surface active agents
• ISSN: 2072-666X; 2072-666X
• DOI: 10.3390/mi15010141

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] particles were synthesized and characterized for the removal of polystyrene microplastics as a model. MnO[sub.2] 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], pH, microplastics, and H[sub.2]O[sub.2] concentrations were varied to determine the optimal conditions for microplastics recovering. The ideal conditions for a low microplastic concentrations (10 mg L[sup.−1]) are 0.2 g L[sup.−1] MnO[sub.2], 1.6% of H[sub.2]O[sub.2] 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.