Efficient microplastics adsorption in aqueous environments via bidirectional ordered graphene oxide/nanocellulose aerogels

Microplastics not only accumulate various harmful substances but also are ingested by marine organisms and humans, causing immeasurable impacts. Therefore, the removal of microplastics has become a crucial proposition for addressing the issue of microplastic pollution. This study investigated a bidirectional ordered graphene oxide (GO)/nanocellulose aerogels (D-DPGG) to remove microplastics from water bodies. The concentration of microplastics before and after adsorption was measured using a fluorescence spectrophotometer. D-DPGG aerogel exhibited excellent adsorption performance for microplastics (241.56 mg/g) and maintained high adsorption efficiency (>80 %) over 20 cycles of adsorption testing. Additionally, the link between GO and dualdirectional treatment significantly improved the aerogel microstructure. It had an apparent layered structure in the transverse direction and improves the mechanical properties. D-DPGG aerogel not only served as an effective solution in adsorption but also held promise as a novel material in directional structural design.