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Japanese scientists create new plastic that dissolves in saltwater overnight
Plastics are durable and strong, which is great while they’re being used but frustrating when they end up in the environment. Scientists at RIKEN in Japan have developed a new type of plastic that’s just as stable in everyday use but dissolves quickly in saltwater, leaving behind safe compounds.
And when it does, it forms microplastic pieces that are turning up in all corners of the natural world, including our own bodies, where they wreak havoc on our health in ways we’re only just beginning to understand. The team wanted to make a specific type of supramolecular polymer that would be strong enough for the usual uses of plastic, but could also be made to break down quickly when required, under mild conditions and leaving only non-toxic compounds. After screening a range of molecules, the researchers identified a particular combination that seemed to have the right properties – sodium hexametaphosphate, which is a common food additive, and monomers based on guanidinium ions, which are used in fertilizers.
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