Adhesion-Driven Removal of Microplastics From Aquatic Systems by Using Microgel Glues.

Jinmeng Zhang, Jie Xu, Wen Chen, Yanping Chen, Zixin Pan, Weitai Wu

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Jinmeng ZhangState Key Laboratory For Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, The Key Laboratory For Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.

Jie XuState Key Laboratory For Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, The Key Laboratory For Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.

Wen ChenState Key Laboratory For Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, The Key Laboratory For Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.

Yanping ChenState Key Laboratory For Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, The Key Laboratory For Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.

Zixin PanState Key Laboratory For Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, The Key Laboratory For Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.

Weitai WuState Key Laboratory For Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, The Key Laboratory For Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.

Funding

Chuying Plan Youth Top-notch Talents of Fujian ProvinceNational Fund for Fostering Talents of Basic Science J1310024National Natural Science Foundation of China 20923004National Natural Science Foundation of China 21774105

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) in aquatic ecosystems represent an escalating environmental challenge. Particularly, those with particle sizes below 1 µm exhibit strong Brownian motion and stable surface hydration layers, which hinder aggregation and render them exceptionally difficult to remove. Inspired by biological adhesion, we propose an adhesion-driven co-precipitation strategy that utilizes a soft polymeric microgel as a "glue" to aggregate dispersed MPs. Upon adhesion, MPs undergo directional transport toward solid-liquid interfaces, where they accumulate into removable sediments. This adhesion-driven interfacial deposition and co-precipitation allows effective enrichment and physical separation of various types of microplastics, e.g., polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Remarkably, efficient removal (>90%) is retained even for nanoscale plastic particles as small as 50 nm. This strategy thus provides a broadly applicable and environmentally sustainable route for microplastic remediation in aquatic environments.

Indexed as

adhesion‐driven aggregationmagnetic separationmicrogel gluesmicroplastics removalmultivalent interactions

Identifiers

PMID41979431

DOI10.1002/advs.75293

PMCPMC13335070

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.