ORGS1-0586
Eco-Friendly Recyclable Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive Coatings for Microplastic Capture via Polarity-Switchable Maleic Anhydride Copolymers
Topic
GS1. Graduate Student Oral Session I: Colloidal and Interfacial Polymer Science
When and Where
Sep 28, 2026
14:00 - 14:12
Room 101
Session Chairs
Yoon-Ho HWANG
Jang-Hwan KIM
Hyosung AN
Presenter(s)
YUN YEONG CHOI (Pusan National University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Microplastics have emerged as persistent aquatic contaminants due to their small size, diverse morphologies, and widespread distribution in natural water systems. Conventional size-exclusion membrane filters can effectively remove larger particles, but their performance is often limited for small, fibrous, or irregularly shaped microplastics and can be further compromised by membrane fouling. Adhesive filtration offers an attractive alternative by capturing particles through interfacial adhesion rather than pore-size exclusion. However, most adhesive coatings are processed using volatile organic solvents, raising concerns regarding solvent emissions, worker safety, and secondary environmental contamination.
Here, we present an eco-friendly pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) coating based on a polarity-switchable maleic anhydride (MA) copolymer for microplastic filtration. Upon mild base treatment, the MA units undergo ring opening to form hydrophilic carboxylate groups, enabling water/ethanol-based spray coating. Subsequent thermal treatment restores hydrophobic anhydride structures, producing a water-stable adhesive layer suitable for aqueous environments. The coated filters exhibited enhanced capture of microplastics with diverse morphologies, including fragments, microspheres, and fibers, while enabling odorless and large-area coating processes.
After filtration, the adhesive layer could be removed under mild basic conditions and reused for subsequent coating, enabling filter regeneration without discarding the substrate. This reversible coating/removal process supports a circular adhesive filtration strategy based on repeated coating, capture, removal, and recoating cycles. By integrating eco-friendly processing, water-stable adhesion, and coating recyclability, this PSA coating provides a simple and sustainable approach for microplastic removal from water.
Here, we present an eco-friendly pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) coating based on a polarity-switchable maleic anhydride (MA) copolymer for microplastic filtration. Upon mild base treatment, the MA units undergo ring opening to form hydrophilic carboxylate groups, enabling water/ethanol-based spray coating. Subsequent thermal treatment restores hydrophobic anhydride structures, producing a water-stable adhesive layer suitable for aqueous environments. The coated filters exhibited enhanced capture of microplastics with diverse morphologies, including fragments, microspheres, and fibers, while enabling odorless and large-area coating processes.
After filtration, the adhesive layer could be removed under mild basic conditions and reused for subsequent coating, enabling filter regeneration without discarding the substrate. This reversible coating/removal process supports a circular adhesive filtration strategy based on repeated coating, capture, removal, and recoating cycles. By integrating eco-friendly processing, water-stable adhesion, and coating recyclability, this PSA coating provides a simple and sustainable approach for microplastic removal from water.
