Hydrogel by IISc- to remove microplastics: 16 April 2024

What is Hydrogel?

• A hydrogel is composed of a minimum of 10% fluid, primarily water, and porous, permeable solids.
• Hydrogels can retain a large quantity of water within their network without disturbing their original structure.

Hydrogel by IISc

• It is  composed of chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyaniline.
• It is infused with copper polyoxometalate (Cu-POM) nanoclusters, which destroy microplastics when exposed to UV light.
• This hydrogel efficiently removes about 95% and 93% of microplastics in water.
• It can eliminate microplastics for up to five cycles.
• It can also be converted into carbon nanomaterials that are capable of extracting heavy metals, such as hexavalent chromium, from contaminated water.

About Microplastics:

• Tiny plastic particles, often measuring between one millimeter and one mm. 
• Harmful for biodiversity and human health.
• They are slow to degrade.