Recent advances in microplastics remediation via adsorption and photocatalytic degradation with bio-polymers and functionalized frameworks
Sijie Zhuang, Shiyu Huang, Lei Dai, Xuefeng Lu, Zhu Long, Zhibin He
Abstract
Micro/nano plastics have emerged as persistent environmental pollutants, posing significant ecological and human health risks. While conventional adsorption techniques can effectively capture these particles, they often fall short of achieving complete mineralization. In contrast, photocatalytic degradation enables molecular-level breakdown but is frequently hampered by poor stability and recyclability. To overcome these limitations, research is increasingly turning to bio-based materials, porous functional frameworks, and their hybrid composites as sustainable platforms for comprehensive microplastic remediation. This review systematically examines the fundamental mechanisms of adsorption and photocatalytic degradation, highlighting recent advances in bio-based materials (e.g., cellulose, chitosan) and porous frameworks (e.g., MOFs, COFs, and HOFs), as well as their synergistic combinations. Bio-based materials offer advantages including environmental compatibility, abundant functional groups, and renewable sourcing. Porous frameworks contribute tunable pore architectures, high surface areas, and pronounced photocatalytic activity. The strategic integration of these components creates composites that leverage their complementary strengths—enhancing adsorption capacity, facilitating interfacial charge transfer, and improving structural integrity—thereby enabling efficient and recyclable removal under realistic conditions. Furthermore, this review critically assesses the ecotoxicological safety, potential for metal ion leaching, and associated environmental risks of these materials. It incorporates techno-economic (TEA) and life-cycle assessments (LCA) to evaluate their scalability and overall sustainability. Finally, we emphasize the promising “waste-to-product” strategy, which converts agricultural and industrial residues into functional hybrid frameworks, thereby aligning microplastic remediation with the principles of a circular economy. This comprehensive overview offers theoretical guidance and practical insights for designing next-generation, sustainable systems for removing micro/nano plastics.