This revolutionary material, developed by researchers at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), could help solve one of our planet's most pressing environmental challenges - the accumulation of microplastics in our oceans.
What makes this discovery particularly exciting is that the new plastic doesn't sacrifice strength for sustainability. The research team created materials that are actually stronger than many conventional plastics, with some versions being as hard as traditional epoxy resins.
While the reversible nature of the bonds in supramolecular plastics have been thought to make them weak and unstable, our new materials are just the opposite.
The secret behind this remarkable material lies in its unique chemistry. Unlike traditional plastics that are held together by strong chemical bonds that never naturally break apart, these new plastics are constructed using 'salt bridges' - reversible connections that can be broken apart by salt water.
#plastic-waste #environmental-innovation #biodegradable-materials #marine-biology #sustainable-technology
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