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 dual-directional 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.