Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Interfacial interaction-driven rapid capture and on-site analysis of nano- and microplastics enabled by multifunctional magnetic adsorbent

Nature Water (2026)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

The pervasive spread of nano- and microplastics (NMPs) presents pressing environmental and health challenges and conventional approaches struggle to achieve both the efficient adsorption and precise detection of label-free NMPs, especially at the nanoscale in complex real-world matrices. Here we report a multifunctional copper-doped polydopamine-functionalized magnetic silica adsorbent that integrates robust interfacial adhesion, photothermal activity and laccase-like catalytic activity, enabling the rapid capture and on-site detection of label-free NMPs. This hierarchical design can capture NMPs ranging from the nano- to micrometre scale within 3 minutes and maintains robust performance over multiple reuse cycles under mild conditions. Leveraging its laccase-like catalytic activity, the developed adsorbent serves as a surface-responsive platform for the broad-spectrum on-site detection of various label-free NMPs, even at the nanoscale. Multivariate analysis via machine learning methods further distinguishes NMP species and concentrations with high specificity. Density functional theory calculations confirm that non-covalent interactions dominate the NMP adsorption mechanism. Impressively, this adsorbent demonstrates the reliable capture and on-site detection of low-concentration label-free NMPs in natural water sources and real-life scenarios (plastic cups, bowls and tea bags). This work overcomes the fundamental limitations of single-mode adsorption or label-based detection of traditional NMP treatment and analysis approaches, pioneering a new paradigm for efficient NMP removal and portable on-site analysis.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Rapid capture and on-site analysis of label-free NMPs by Fe3O4@SiO2@CP.
Fig. 2: Preparation process and characterization of Fe3O4@SiO2@CP.
Fig. 3: Photothermal properties and laccase-like catalytic performance of Fe3O4@SiO2@CP.
Fig. 4: Adsorption performance of Fe3O4@SiO2@CP for PS and characterization of the material properties pre- and post-adsorption.
Fig. 5: Broad-spectrum on-site NMP detection performance of Fe3O4@SiO2@CP through its laccase-like catalytic activity.
Fig. 6: The adsorption mechanism of various NMPs by Fe3O4@SiO2@CP calculated by DFT.
Fig. 7: On-site detection performance of Fe3O4@SiO2@CP for representative NMPs in catering and adsorption performance of NMPs in natural water sources.

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

All of the data supporting the findings of the study are included in the Article and its Supplementary Information. Source data are provided with this paper.

Code availability

The custom codes used in this study, including the scripts for PCA, LDA and RF machine learning analyses, as well as the wavefunction files from theoretical calculations, are available in Supplementary Code 1.

References

  1. Peng, X., Urso, M., Kolackova, M., Huska, D. & Pumera, M. Biohybrid magnetically driven microrobots for sustainable removal of micro/nanoplastics from the aquatic environment. Adv. Funct. Mater. 34, 2307477 (2024).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Huang, S. M. et al. Detection and analysis of microplastics in human sputum. Environ. Sci. Technol. 56, 2476–2486 (2022).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Ivleva, N. P. Chemical analysis of microplastics and nanoplastics: challenges, advanced methods, and perspectives. Chem. Rev. 121, 11886–11936 (2021).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Nguyen, B. et al. Separation and analysis of microplastics and nanoplastics in complex environmental samples. Acc. Chem. Res. 52, 858–866 (2019).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Wang, Y. et al. Flowthrough capture of microplastics through polyphenol-mediated interfacial interactions on wood sawdust. Adv. Funct. Mater. 35, 2301531 (2023).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Liu, X. R. et al. The threats of micro- and nanoplastics to aquatic ecosystems and water health. Nat. Water 3, 764–781 (2025).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Xie, L. F., Ma, M. L., Ge, Q. Y., Liu, Y. Y. & Zhang, L. W. Machine learning advancements and strategies in microplastic and nanoplastic Ddetection. Environ. Sci. Technol. 59, 8885–8899 (2025).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Elkhatib, D. & Oyanedel-Craver, V. A critical review of extraction and identification methods of microplastics in wastewater and drinking water. Environ. Sci. Technol. 54, 7037–7049 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Hussain, K. A. et al. Assessing the release of microplastics and nanoplastics from plastic containers and reusable food pouches: implications for human health. Environ. Sci. Technol. 57, 9782–9792 (2023).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Wu, Y. et al. Highly efficient, recyclable microplastic adsorption enabled by chitin hydrogen bond network rearrangement. Adv. Funct. Mater. 34, 2311075 (2024).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Zhou, C. S. et al. (Micro) nanoplastics promote the risk of antibiotic resistance gene propagation in biological phosphorus removal system. J. Hazard. Mater. 431, 128547 (2022).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Koelmans, A. A. et al. Risk assessment of microplastic particles. Nat. Rev. Mater. 7, 138–152 (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Zhao, H. H. et al. Removal of polystyrene nanoplastics from aqueous solutions using a novel magnetic material: adsorbability, mechanism, and reusability. Chem. Eng. J. 430, 133122 (2022).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Fu, X. et al. Sustainable microplastic remediation with record capacity unleashed via surface engineering of natural fungal mycelium framework. Adv. Funct. Mater. 33, 2212570 (2023).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Enfrin, M., Lee, J., Le-Clech, P. & Dumée, L. F. Kinetic and mechanistic aspects of ultrafiltration membrane fouling by nano- and microplastics. J. Membr. Sci. 601, 117890 (2020).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Leppänen, I. et al. Capturing colloidal nano- and microplastics with plant-based nanocellulose networks. Nat. Commun. 13, 1814 (2022).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Urso, M. & Pumera, M. Nano/microplastics capture and degradation by autonomous nano/microrobots: a perspective. Adv. Funct. Mater. 32, 2112120 (2022).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Zhou, H. J., Mayorga-Martinez, C. C. & Pumera, M. Microplastic removal and degradation by mussel-inspired adhesive magnetic/enzymatic microrobots. Small Methods 5, 2100230 (2021).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Wang, J., Sun, C., Huang, Q. X., Chi, Y. & Yan, J. H. Adsorption and thermal degradation of microplastics from aqueous solutions by Mg/Zn modified magnetic biochars. J. Hazard. Mater. 419, 126486 (2021).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Hsieh, L. C. et al. Addition of biochar as thin preamble layer into sand filtration columns could improve the microplastics removal from water. Water Res. 221, 118783 (2022).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Zhuang, J., Pan, M. Z., Zhang, Y. H., Liu, F. & Xu, Z. Y. Rapid adsorption of directional cellulose nanofibers/3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane/polyethyleneimine aerogels on microplastics in water. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 235, 123884 (2023).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Pasanen, F., Fuller, R. O. & Maya, F. Sequential extraction, depolymerization and quantification of polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics using magnetic ZIF-8 nanocomposites. Chem. Eng. J. 490, 151453 (2024).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Wang, H. P. et al. Modified superhydrophobic magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles for removal of microplastics in liquid foods. Chem. Eng. J. 476, 146562 (2023).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Liu, F. T. et al. Activating adsorption sites of waste crayfish shells via chemical decalcification for efficient capturing of nanoplastics. ACS Nano 18, 23825–23826 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Chen, L. et al. Biomass waste-assisted micro(nano)plastics capture, utilization, and storage for sustainable water remediation. Innovation 5, 100655 (2024).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Zhang, M. et al. Upscaling waste human hairs into micro/nanorobots for adsorptive removal of micro/nanoplastics. Chem. Eng. J. 495, 153264 (2024).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Cole, M. et al. Mussel power: scoping a nature-based solution to microplastic debris. J. Hazard. Mater. 453, 131392 (2023).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Li, H. X. et al. Theoretical and experimental investigation on rapid and efficient adsorption characteristics of microplastics by magnetic sponge carbon. Sci. Total Environ. 897, 165404 (2023).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Zheng, B. Y., Li, B., Wan, H., Lin, X. F. & Cai, Y. P. Coral-inspired environmental durability aerogels for micron-size plastic particles removal in the aquatic environment. J. Hazard. Mater. 431, 128611 (2022).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Ussia, M., Urso, M., Oral, C. M., Peng, X. & Pumera, M. Magnetic microrobot swarms with polymeric hands catching bacteria and microplastics in water. ACS Nano 18, 13171–13183 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  31. Won, S. et al. Multimodal collective swimming of magnetically articulated modular nanocomposite robots. Nat. Commun. 13, 6750 (2022).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. Wu, X. H., Peng, X., Ren, L., Guan, J. G. & Pumera, M. Reconfigurable magnetic liquid metal microrobots: a regenerable solution for the capture and removal of micro/nanoplastics. Adv. Funct. Mater. 34, 2410167 (2024).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Zhao, Z. X., Zhao, X., Shan, J. J. & Wang, X. Concentration analysis of metal-labeled nanoplastics in different water samples using electrochemistry. Sci. Total Environ. 907, 168013 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Guo, Q. Q. et al. Hierarchically structured hydrogel actuator for microplastic pollutant detection and removal. Chem. Mater. 34, 5165–5175 (2022).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Wang, Y. et al. Tracking and imaging nano-plastics in fresh plant using cryogenic laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. J. Hazard. Mater. 465, 133029 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Prezgot, D., Chen, M. H., Leng, Y. S., Gaburici, L. & Zou, S. Automated machine-learning-driven analysis of microplastics by TGA-FTIR for enhanced identification and quantification. Anal. Chem. 97, 8833–8840 (2025).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  37. Zhang, Y. T. et al. Hyperspectral imaging based method for rapid detection of microplastics in the intestinal tracts of fish. Environ. Sci. Technol. 53, 5151–5158 (2019).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Zhang, J. J. et al. Identification of poly(ethylene terephthalate) nanoplastics in commercially bottled drinking water using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Environ. Sci. Technol. 57, 8365–8372 (2023).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  39. Urso, M., Ussia, M., Novotny, F. & Pumera, M. Trapping and detecting nanoplastics by MXene-derived oxide microrobots. Nat. Commun. 13, 3573 (2022).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  40. Li, J. et al. Revealing trace nanoplastics in food packages—an electrochemical approach facilitated by synergistic attraction of electrostatics and hydrophobicity. Anal. Chem. 94, 12657–12663 (2022).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Xing, F. Y. et al. Superhydrophobic surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates for sensitive detection of trace nanoplastics in water. Anal. Chem. 97, 2293–2299 (2025).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Wang, T. et al. Size-resolved SERS detection of trace polystyrene nanoplastics via selective electrosorption. Anal. Chem. 96, 19545–19552 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Wang, T. et al. Organic magnetic nanoparticles catalyze CO2 capture in hydrogen-bonded nanocages via water-driven crystallization. Nat. Commun. 16, 3702 (2025).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  44. Sun, L. H. et al. PEGylated polydopamine nanoparticles incorporated with indocyanine green and doxorubicin for magnetically guided multimodal cancer therapy triggered by near-infrared light. ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 1, 325–336 (2018).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Liu, Y. L., Ai, K. L. & Lu, L. H. Polydopamine and its derivative materials: synthesis and promising applications in energy, environmental, and biomedical fields. Chem. Rev. 114, 5057–5115 (2014).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Wang, Z., Zou, Y., Li, Y. W. & Cheng, Y. Y. Metal-containing polydopamine nanomaterials: catalysis, energy, and theranostics. Small 16, 1907042 (2020).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Makam, P. et al. Single amino acid bionanozyme for environmental remediation. Nat. Commun. 13, 1505 (2022).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  48. Wang, J. H. et al. Construction of a bioinspired laccase-mimicking nanozyme for the degradation and detection of phenolic pollutants. Appl. Catal. B 254, 452–462 (2019).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Daronch, N. A., Kelbert, M., Pereira, C. S., de Araújo, P. H. H. & de Oliveira, D. Elucidating the choice for a precise matrix for laccase immobilization: a review. Chem. Eng. J. 397, 125506 (2020).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Zdarta, J., Meyer, A. S., Jesionowski, T. & Pinelo, M. Developments in support materials for immobilization of oxidoreductases: a comprehensive review. Adv. Colloid Interface Sci. 258, 1–20 (2018).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Ye, Q., Zhou, F. & Liu, W. M. Bioinspired catecholic chemistry for surface modification. Chem. Soc. Rev. 40, 4244–4258 (2011).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Zhang, W. X., Hao, Y. N., Gao, Y. R., Shu, Y. & Wang, J. H. Mutual benefit between Cu(II) and polydopamine for improving photothermal–chemodynamic therapy. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 13, 38127–38137 (2021).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Raj, S., Mahanty, B. & Hait, S. Coagulative removal of polystyrene microplastics from aqueous matrices using FeCl3-chitosan system: experimental and artificial neural network modeling. J. Hazard. Mater. 468, 133818 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Gao, W., Lei, Z. Y., Wu, K. & Chen, Y. P. Reconfigurable and renewable nano-micro-structured plastics for radiative cooling. Adv. Funct. Mater. 31, 2100535 (2021).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Jang, M. H. et al. Elucidating adsorption mechanisms of benzalkonium chlorides (BACs) on polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (MPs): effects of BACs alkyl chain length and MPs characteristics. J. Hazard. Mater. 468, 133765 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Tang, Z. P. et al. Oxygen-containing functional groups enhance uranium adsorption by aged polystyrene microplastics: experimental and theoretical perspectives. Chem. Eng. J. 465, 142730 (2023).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Jin, X. et al. Self-assembly of metal-polyphenolic network on biomass for enhanced organic contaminant capturing from water with a high cost-to-benefit ratio. J. Hazard. Mater. 470, 134183 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Xue, C. et al. Simultaneous organic pollutant degradation and hydrogen peroxide production by molecular-engineered carbon nitride. Appl. Catal. B 340, 123259 (2024).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Lu, T. & Chen, Q. X. Independent gradient model based on Hirshfeld partition: a new method for visual study of interactions in chemical systems. J. Comput. Chem. 43, 539–555 (2022).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Kniazev, K. et al. Using infrared photothermal heterodyne imaging to characterize micro- and nanoplastics in complex environmental matrices. Environ. Sci. Technol. 55, 15891–15899 (2021).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Okoffo, E. D. & Thomas, K. Quantitative analysis of nanoplastics in environmental and potable waters by pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. J. Hazard. Mater. 464, 133013 (2024).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Li, H. et al. Flexible recyclable cellulose paper templated Cu-doped polydopamine membranes with dual enzyme-like activity. Small 18, 2202405 (2022).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. Zandieh, M. & Liu, J. W. Removal and degradation of microplastics using the magnetic and nanozyme activities of bare iron oxide nanoaggregates. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 61, e202212013 (2022).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

J.G. acknowledges the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 22476061 and 22076057) and The Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities of China (111 Program, B17019). C.C. acknowledges the financial support from the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Wuhan University (grant no. 691000003).

Author information

Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Qingfeng Yao, Chao Xu.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Engineering Research Center of Photoenergy Utilization for Pollution Control and Carbon Reduction (Ministry of Education), State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticides, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China

    Qingfeng Yao, Zheng Cai, Xinrong Liao & Jingming Gong

  2. Hubei Biomass-Resource Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology Key Laboratory, Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center of Emerging Functional Coating Materials, School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China

    Chao Xu, Luhe Qi & Chaoji Chen

  3. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

    Lizhi Zhang

Authors
  1. Qingfeng Yao
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chao Xu
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Luhe Qi
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Zheng Cai
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xinrong Liao
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lizhi Zhang
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jingming Gong
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Chaoji Chen
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Q.Y. and C.X. contributed equally to this work. J.G. and C.C. conceived the research and supervised this project. Q.Y. designed and carried out the experiments. J.G., C.C., Q.Y. and C.X. analysed the data and co-wrote and revised the paper. C.X., Q.Y. and L.Q. designed and drew the schematic diagrams for the paper. Z.C. and X.L. coordinated and supervised the research. L.Z. revised the paper. All authors commented on the submitted version of the paper.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jingming Gong or Chaoji Chen.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Peer review

Peer review information

Nature Water thanks Swaroop Chakraborty and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Information (download PDF )

Supplementary Methods 1–16, Discussions 1–12, Figs. 1–48, Tables 1–15 and refs. 1–77.

Supplementary Data 1 (download ZIP )

Source data for Supplementary Figs. 1, 4–10, 14–16, 18, 20–29, 31–37, 39, 40 and 42–48.

Supplementary Video 1 (download MP4 )

Three-dimensional motion of Fe3O4@SiO2@CP assisted by a magnetic stirrer.

Supplementary Video 2 (download MP4 )

Magnetic stirrer-assisted PS80nm capture by Fe3O4@SiO2@CP.

Supplementary Video 3 (download MP4 )

Magnetically actuated adsorbent of Fe3O4@SiO2@CP.

Supplementary Video 4 (download MP4 )

Mechanical stirring-assisted Fe3O4@SiO2@CP for rapid removal of PS80nm.

Supplementary Code 1 (download ZIP )

Supplementary code for machine learning (Supplementary Codes 1–3) and the visualization of theoretical calculations (Supplementary Codes 4–16).

Source data

Source Data Fig. 2 (download XLSX )

Characterization of Fe3O4@SiO2@CP.

Source Data Fig. 3 (download XLSX )

Laccase-like catalytic performance of Fe3O4@SiO2@CP.

Source Data Fig. 4 (download XLSX )

Adsorption performance of Fe3O4@SiO2@CP on PS and characterization of material properties pre- and post-adsorption.

Source Data Fig. 5 (download XLSX )

Broad-spectrum on-site NMP detection performance of Fe3O4@SiO2@CP through its laccase-like catalytic activity.

Source Data Fig. 7 (download XLSX )

On-site detection performance of Fe3O4@SiO2@CP for representative NMPs in catering scenes and adsorption performance of NMPs in natural water sources.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yao, Q., Xu, C., Qi, L. et al. Interfacial interaction-driven rapid capture and on-site analysis of nano- and microplastics enabled by multifunctional magnetic adsorbent. Nat Water (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-026-00610-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Version of record:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-026-00610-3

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing