Researchers have developed a dynamic magnetic capture system that removes more than 99 percent of micro- and nanoplastics from water and converts the collected particles into materials for water electrolysis, according to a study published in Nature Communications.
The capture platform, designated DynMagCap, relies on in situ chemical magnetization to address ecotoxicological threats from aquatic plastic particles. Unlike conventional magnetic seeding methods, DynMagCap generates iron-based dynamic magnetic chains that self-assemble, migrate, and interlink with micro- and nanoplastics under bubble assistance. The authors reported that the mechanism maintains its removal performance across diverse plastic types, particle sizes, and varying water conditions.
Following separation, the captured iron-plastic composites pass into a catalytic pyrolysis process known as CatPyr. Inside the reactor, iron species catalyze chlorine fixation from polyvinyl chloride-bearing plastics to form iron(II) chloride (FeCl2). At the same time, the thermal process yields iron and carbon nanocomposites that serve as active materials for water electrolysis, turning captured aquatic contaminants into reusable chemical products.
Techno-economic and life-cycle assessments confirmed both the economic and environmental viability of the integrated DynMagCap and CatPyr route. The study was submitted in November 2025, accepted in July 2026, and published on August 6, 2026. The Australian Research Council funded the research under projects DP220101139, LP240100542, and LP240200633. Contributing institutions included the University of New South Wales, RMIT University, the University of Technology Sydney, and Henan Polytechnic University.
