

FOLLOWUS
a.College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
b.Radiation Chemistry Department, Sichuan Institute of Atomic Energy, Chengdu 610101, China
c.Med-X Center for Materials, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
weifeng@scu.edu.cn (W.F.Z.)
zhaochsh70@scu.edu.cn (C.S.Z.)
Received:22 October 2025,
Accepted:16 December 2025,
Published Online:22 January 2026,
Published:05 February 2026
Scan QR Code
Chen, S. F.; Su, J. L.; Zhang, S. X.; Hu, Z.; Bao, J. X.; Cha, X. Y.; Zhao, W. F.; Zhao, C. S. Bipolar and NIR-responsive polyurethane microspheres as a bifunctional adsorbent for simultaneous capture of bacteria and removal of dyes. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 315–330
Shi-Fan Chen, Jia-Lin Su, Si-Xian Zhang, et al. Bipolar and NIR-responsive Polyurethane Microspheres as a Bifunctional Adsorbent for Simultaneous Capture of Bacteria and Removal of Dyes[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(2): 315-330.
Chen, S. F.; Su, J. L.; Zhang, S. X.; Hu, Z.; Bao, J. X.; Cha, X. Y.; Zhao, W. F.; Zhao, C. S. Bipolar and NIR-responsive polyurethane microspheres as a bifunctional adsorbent for simultaneous capture of bacteria and removal of dyes. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 315–330 DOI: 10.1007/s10118-025-3536-y.
Shi-Fan Chen, Jia-Lin Su, Si-Xian Zhang, et al. Bipolar and NIR-responsive Polyurethane Microspheres as a Bifunctional Adsorbent for Simultaneous Capture of Bacteria and Removal of Dyes[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(2): 315-330. DOI: 10.1007/s10118-025-3536-y.
Intelligent polyurethane microspheres (termed as PUCD) integrate bipolar sites for broad-spectrum dye adsorption and a near-infrared (NIR)-triggered ‘pore-closure’ mechanism for
in situ
bacterial capture
enabling the safe and simultaneous decontamination of hospital wastewater.
Hospital wastewater contains complex pollutants
including residual organic dyes and antibiotic-resistant pathogens
posing severe risks to ecosystems and human health. Conventional adsorbents
constrained by monopolar functional groups and limited surface sites
fail to remove both pollutants simultaneously. Here
we report an intelligent responsive polyurethane microsphere adsorbent doped with diallyl dimethylammonium chloride modified carbon nanotubes
termed as PUCD microspheres. The PUCD integrates bipolar adsorption sites
tunable micrometer-scale pores
and a near-infrared (NIR)-triggered
in situ
capture mechanism within a single platform
which achieves up to 98.3% dye removal
maintains strong adsorption performance across a wide pH range and retains 83.3% efficiency for rhodamine B after five cycles. Notably
the PUCD employs a temperature-responsive phase transition: under NIR irradiation
the microspheres undergo shrinkage
reducing the pore size to generate a ‘polymer trap’
enabling
in situ
capture of bacteria with
>
99% efficiencies for both
Staphylococcus aureus
and
Escherichia coli
. By immobilizing live bacteria
the PUCD microspheres substantially reduces the risk of pathogen desorption and toxin relea
se. This promising platform offers a safe
efficient
and single-stage strategy for hospital wastewater purification
enabling the simultaneous elimination of dyes and pathogenic bacteria.
Wang, L.; Xu, Y.; Qin, T.; Wu, M.; Chen, Z.; Zhang, Y.; Liu, W.; Xie, X. Global trends in the research and development of medical/pharmaceutical wastewater treatment over the half-century. Chemosphere 2023 , 331 , 138775..
Wang, J.; Shen, J.; Ye, D.; Yan, X.; Zhang, Y.; Yang, W.; Li, X.; Wang, J.; Zhang, L.; Pan, L. Disinfection technology of hospital wastes and wastewater: suggestions for disinfection strategy during coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in China. Environ. Pollut. 2020 , 262 , 114665..
Tkaczyk, A.; Mitrowska, K.; Posyniak, A. Synthetic organic dyes as contaminants of the aquatic environment and their implications for ecosystems: a review. Sci. Total Environ. 2020 , 717 , 137222..
Anisuzzaman, S. M.; Joseph, C. G.; Pang, C. K.; Affandi, N. A.; Maruja, S. N.; Vijayan, V. Current trends in the utilization of photolysis and photocatalysis treatment processes for the remediation of dye wastewater: a short review. ChemEngineering 2022 , 6 , 58..
Giammanco, G .; Veneziano, R.; Dunn, B.; Such, N.; Cressman, J. R.; Chitnis, P. V. DNA-based near-infrared voltage sensors. ACS Sens. 2023 , 8 , 3680−3686..
Hendriksen, R. S.; Munk, P.; Njage, P.; van Bunnik, B.; McNally, L.; Lukjancenko, O.; Röder, T.; Nieuwenhuijse, D.; Pedersen, S. K.; Kjeldgaard, J.; Kaas, R. S.; Clausen, P. T. L. C.; Vogt, J. K.; Leekitcharoenphon, P.; van de Schans, M. G. M.; Zuidema, T.; de Roda Husman, A. M.; Rasmussen, S.; Petersen, B.; Bego, A.; Rees, C.; Cassar, S.; Coventry, K.; Collignon, P.; Allerberger, F.; Rahube, T. O.; Oliveira, G.; Ivanov, I.; Vuthy, Y.; Sopheak, T.; Yost, C. K.; Ke, C.; Zheng, H.; Baisheng, L.; Jiao, X.; Donado-Godoy, P.; Coulibaly, K. J.; Jergović, M.; Hrenovic, J.; Karpíšková, R.; Villacis, J. E.; Legesse, M.; Eguale, T.; Heikinheimo, A.; Malania, L.; Nitsche, A.; Brinkmann, A.; Saba, C. K. S.; Kocsis, B.; Solymosi, N.; Thorsteinsdottir, T. R.; Hatha, A. M.; Alebouyeh, M.; Morris, D.; Cormican, M.; O’Connor, L.; Moran-Gilad, J.; Alba, P.; Battisti, A.; Shakenova, Z.; Kiiyukia, C.; Ng’eno, E.; Raka, L.; Avsejenko, J.; Bērziņš, A.; Bartkevics, V.; Penny, C.; Rajandas, H.; Parimannan, S.; Haber, M. V.; Pal, P.; Jeunen, G.-J.; Gemmell, N.; Fashae, K.; Holmstad, R.; Hasan, R.; Shakoor, S.; Rojas, M. L. Z.; Wasyl, D.; Bosevska, G.; Kochubovski, M.; Radu, C.; Gassama, A.; Radosavljevic, V.; Wuertz, S.; Zuniga-Montanez, R.; Tay, M. Y. F.; Gavačová, D.; Pastuchova, K.; Truska, P.; Trkov, M.; Esterhuyse, K.; Keddy, K.; Cerdà-Cuéllar, M.; Pathirage, S.; Norrgren, L.; Örn, S.; Larsson, D. G. J.; Heijden, T. V. d.; Kumburu, H. H.; Sanneh, B.; Bidjada, P.; Njanpop-Lafourcade, B.-M.; Nikiema-Pessinaba, S. C.; Levent, B.; Meschke, J. S.; Beck, N. K.; Van, C. D.; Phuc, N. D.; Tran, D. M. N.; Kwenda, G.; Tabo, D.-a.; Wester, A. L.; Cuadros-Orellana, S.; Amid, C.; Cochrane, G.; Sicher itz-Ponten, T.; Schmitt, H.; Alvarez, J. R. M.; Aidara-Kane, A.; Pamp, S. J.; Lund, O.; Hald, T.; Woolhouse, M.; Koopmans, M. P.; Vigre, H.; Petersen, T. N.; Aarestrup, F. M. Global monitoring of antimicrobial resistance based on metagenomics analyses of urban sewage. Nat. Commun. 2019 , 10 , 1124..
Chen, M.; Liu, Y.; Zhou, Y.; Pei, Y.; Qu, M.; Lv, P.; Zhang, J.; Xu, X.; Hu, Y.; Wang, Y. Deciphering antibiotic resistance genes and plasmids in pathogenic bacteria from 166 hospital effluents in Shanghai, China. J. Hazard. Mater. 2025 , 483 , 136641..
Zhu, L.; Yuan, L.; Shuai, X. Y.; Lin, Z. J.; Sun, Y. J.; Zhou, Z. C.; Meng, L. X.; Ju, F.; Chen, H. Deciphering basic and key traits of antibiotic resistome in influent and effluent of hospital wastewater treatment systems. Water Res. 2023 , 231 , 119614..
Lin, J.; Ye, W.; Xie, M.; Seo, D. H.; Luo, J.; Wan, Y.; Van der Bruggen, B. Environmental impacts and remediation of dye-containing wastewater. Nat. Rev. Earth Environ. 2023 , 4 , 785−803..
Liu, K.; Gan, C.; Peng, Y. e.; Gan, Y.; He, J.; Du, Y.; Tong, L.; Shi, J.; Wang, Y. Occurrence and source identification of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in groundwater surrounding urban hospita ls. J. Hazard. Mater. 2024 , 465 , 133368..
Bao, J.; Li, H.; Xu, Y.; Chen, S.; Wang, Z.; Jiang, C.; Li, H.; Wei, Z.; Sun, S.; Zhao, W.; Zhao, C. Multi-functional polyethersulfone nanofibrous membranes with ultra-high adsorption capacity and ultra-fast removal rates for dyes and bacteria. J. Mater. Sci. Technol. 2021 , 78 , 131−143..
Dutta, S.; Gupta, B.; Srivastava, S. K.; Gupta, A. K. Recent advances on the removal of dyes from wastewater using various adsorbents: a critical review. Mater. Adv. 2021 , 2 , 4497−4531..
Zuo, K.; Wang, K.; DuChanois, R. M.; Fang, Q.; Deemer, E. M.; Huang, X.; Xin, R.; Said, I. A.; He, Z.; Feng, Y.; Shane Walker, W.; Lou, J.; Elimelech, M.; Huang, X.; Li, Q. Selective membranes in water and wastewater treatment: role of advanced materials. Mater. Today 2021 , 50 , 516−532..
Lin, B.; Deng, X.; Chen, J.; Low, Z. X.; Zhong, Z.; Xing, W. Integration of oxidation processes and ceramic membrane filtration for advanced water treatment: a review of foulant-membrane interactions. Adv. Membr. 2025 , 5 , 100138..
Guo, R.; Zhang, X.; Kuklin, A.; Peng, G.; Jin, L.; Chen, Y.; Hans, A.; Zhang, Y. Synergistic oxidation and reduction of complex pollutants in wastewater using a self-cycling piezo-photocatalytic fenton system. J. Hazard. Mater. 2025 , 490 , 137774..
Mecha, A. C.; Chollom, M. N. Photocatalytic ozonation of wastewater: a review. Environ. Chem. Lett. 2020 , 18 , 1491−1507..
[Zhang, C.; Yu, Z.; Wang, X. A review of electrochemical oxidation technology for advanced treatment of medical wastewater. Front. Chem . 2022 , 10 , 1−6..
Rodríguez-Narváez, O. M.; Picos, A. R.; Bravo-Yumi, N.; Pacheco-Alvarez, M.; Martínez-Huitle, C. A.; Peralta-Hernández, J. M. Electrochemical oxidation technology to treat textile wastewaters. Curr. Opin. Electrochem. 2021 , 29 , 100806..
Kapoor, R. T.; Danish, M.; Singh, R. S.; Rafatullah, M.; H.P. S, A. K. Exploiting microbial biomass in treating azo dyes contaminated wastewater: mechanism of degradation and factors affecting microbial efficiency. J. Water Process. Eng. 2021 , 43 , 102255..
Bhardwaj, P.; Kaur, N.; Selvaraj, M.; Ghramh, H. A.; Al-Shehri, B. M.; Singh, G.; Arya, S. K.; Bhatt, K.; Ghotekar, S.; Mani, R.; Chang, S. W.; Ravindran, B.; Awasthi, M. K. Laccase-assisted degradation of emerging recalcitrant compounds – a review. Bioresour. Technol. 2022 , 364 , 128031..
Chen, Z.; Shi, Q.; Xu, M.; Yan, H.; Cao, K.; Mao, Y.; Wu, Y.; Hu, H.-Y. Quantitative models and potential surrogates for rapid evaluation and surveillance of chlorine disinfection efficacy in reclaimed water. Sci. Total Environ. 2023 , 866 , 161372..
Chen, X.; Chen, Z.; Ngo, H. H.; Mao, Y.; Cao, K.; Shi, Q.; Lu, Y.; Hu, H.-Y. Comparison of inactivation characteristics between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in water by synergistic UV and chlorine disinfection. Environ. Pollut. 2023 , 333 , 122007..
Jalali Milani, S.; Nabi Bidhendi, G. A review on the potential of common disinfection processes for the removal of virus from wastewater. Int. J. Environ. Res. 2022 , 16 , 9..
Crini, G.; Lichtfouse, E. Advantages and disadvantages of techniques use d for wastewater treatment. Environ. Chem. Lett. 2018 , 17 , 145−155..
Shen, M.; Zeng, Z.; Li, L.; Song, B.; Zhou, C.; Zeng, G.; Zhang, Y.; Xiao, R. Microplastics act as an important protective umbrella for bacteria during water/wastewater disinfection. J. Cleaner Prod. 2021 , 315 , 128188..
Christou, A.; Beretsou, V. G.; Iakovides, I. C.; Karaolia, P.; Michael, C.; Benmarhnia, T.; Chefetz, B.; Donner, E.; Gawlik, B. M.; Lee, Y.; Lim, T. T.; Lundy, L.; Maffettone, R.; Rizzo, L.; Topp, E.; Fatta-Kassinos, D. Sustainable wastewater reuse for agriculture. Nat. Rev. Earth Environ. 2024 , 5 , 504−521..
Liu, M.; Kasuga, I. Impact of chlorine disinfection on intracellular and extracellular antimicrobial resistance genes in wastewater treatment and water reclamation. Sci. Total Environ. 2024 , 949 , 175046..
Sun, Y.; Wang, T.; Sun, X.; Bai, L.; Han, C.; Zhang, P. The potential of biochar and lignin-based adsorbents for wastewater treatment: Comparison, mechanism, and application—a review. Ind. Crops. Prod. 2021 , 166 , 113473..
Zhang, X.; Li, S.; Wang, Y.; Shen, J.; Wei, Y.; Wang, C. Preparation of amino/hydroxy dual-functionalized hypercrosslinked polymers for effective removal of organic dyes from water. J. Hazard. Mater. 2025 , 488 , 137405..
[Xu, Y.; Lin, W.; Yuan, D.; Chen, S.; Li, F.; Long, Y.; He, C.; Zhao, W.; Zhao, C. “1+1 > 2”: Highly efficient removal of organic pollutants by composite nanofibrous membrane based on the synergistic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis. J. Mater. Sci. Technol . 2022, 124 , 76−85..
Momina; Ahmad, K. Study of different polymer nanocomposites and their pollutant removal efficiency: review. Polymer 2021 , 217 , 123453..
Hu, R.; Li, Y.; Yu, E. Glycidyl methacrylate-phytic acid crosslinked maleic anhydride-β-cyclodextrin hydrogel as an efficient cationic dye adsorbent. Polymer 2023 , 283 , 126232..
Liu, C.; Song, L.; Cao, S.; Zhang, H.; Han, J. Green synthesis of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin polymers crosslinked by citric acid for highly efficient removal of methylene blue. Polymer 2023 , 280 , 126043..
Mazi, H.; Erbalci, K. Adsorption of methylene blue from wastewater using poly(acrylamide-co-itaconic acid-co-stearyl methacrylate) hydrogels. Polymer 2025 , 335 , 128837..
Sun, D. X.; Liao, X. L.; Zhang, N.; Huang, T.; Lei, Y. Z.; Xu, X. L.; Wang, Y. Biomimetic modification of super-wetting electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) porous fibers with organic dyes and heavy metal ions adsorption, oil/water separation, and sterilization performances toward wastewater treatment. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2022 , 40 , 738−753..
Chen, S.; Bao, J.; Hu, Z.; Liu, X.; Cheng, S.; Zhao, W.; Zhao, C. Porous microspheres as pathogen traps for sepsis therapy: capturing active pathogens and alleviating inflammatory reactions. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2024 , 16 , 23855−23871..
Qu, Y.; Wei, R.; Cheng, S.; Liu, X.; Zhao, W.; Zhao, C. Hirudin-like noninvasive polyurethane solid anticoagulant fabricated by one-pot in situ solution polymerization and phase conversion methods. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2025 , 17 , 11782−11794..
Patil, N.; Falentin-Daudré, C.; Jé rôme, C.; Detrembleur, C. Mussel-inspired protein-repelling ambivalent block copolymers: controlled synthesis and characterization. Polym. Chem. 2015 , 6 , 2919−2933..
Fan, L.; Wang, R.; Zhang, Q.; Liu, S.; He, R.; Zhang, R.; Shen, M.; Xiang, X.; Zhou, Y. In situ self-foaming preparation of hydrophobic polyurethane foams for oil/water separation. New J. Chem. 2021 , 45 , 13902−13908..
Chen, S.; Guo, Y.; Yuan, D.; He, C.; Bao, J.; Ai, S.; Li, F.; Zhao, W.; Xu, Y.; Zhao, C. Constructing porous channels in superhydrophilic polyethersulfone composite nanofibrous membranes for sustainably enhanced photocatalytic activities in wastewater remediation. Composites Sci. Technol. 2021 , 214 , 108993..
Qi, Y.; Chen, Y.; Liu, H.; Zhao, J.; Yu, Y.; Wang, R.; Lv, Z.; Sun, S. Construction of highly hydrophilic PAN-co-IA/CNTs@TA composite membrane with large flux and high retention for purification of dye wastewater. Chem. Eng. J. 2024 , 487 , 150752..
Yu, J.; Qi, D.; Mäkilä, E.; Lassila, L.; Papageorgiou, A. C.; Peurla, M.; Rosenholm, J. M.; Zhao, Z.; Vallittu, P.; Jalkanen, S.; Jia, C.; Li, J. Small-molecule-based supramolecular plastics mediated by liquid-liquid phase separation**. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022 , 61 , e202204611.
Li, B.; Chen, X.; Zhou, Y.; Zhao, Y.; Song, T.; Wu, X.; Shi, W. Liquid-liquid phase separation of immiscible polymers at double emulsion interfaces for configurable microcapsules. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2023 , 641 , 299−308..
Cui, X.; Ruan, Q.; Zhuo, X.; Xia, X.; Hu, J.; Fu, R.; Li, Y.; Wang, J.; Xu, H. Photothermal nanomaterials: a powerful light-to-heat converter. Chem. Rev. 2023 , 123 , 6891−6952..
Li, Y.; Shi, Y.; Wang, H.; Liu, T.; Zheng, X.; Gao, S.; Lu, J. Recent advances in carbon-based materials for solar-driven interfacial photothermal conversion water evaporation: assemblies, structures, applications, and prospective. Carbon Energy 2023 , 5 , e331..
Cao, Y.; Zhao, Z.; Zeng, X.; Teng, J.; Huang, J.; Min, Y. High-performance Polyimide/Polypyrrole-CNTs@PEG composites for integrated thermal management and enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption. Adv. Compos. Hybrid Mater. 2025 , 8 , 104..
Lee, H. P.; Gaharwar, A. K. Light-responsive inorga nic biomaterials for biomedical applications. Adv. Sci. 2020 , 7 , 2000863..
Balandin, A. A. Thermal properties of graphene and nanostructured carbon materials. Nat. Mater. 2011 , 10 , 569−581..
Jackson, E. M.; Laibinis, P. E.; Collins, W. E. A., Ueda; Wingard, C. D.; Penn, B. Development and thermal properties of carbon nanotube-polymer composites. Compos. Part B 2016 , 89 , 362−373..
Shi, W. B.; Song, N. J.; Huang, Y. P.; He, C.; Zhang, M.; Zhao, W. F.; Zhao, C. S. Improved cooling performance of hydrogel wound dressings via integrating thermal conductivity and heat storage capacity for burn therapy. Biomacromolecules 2022 , 23 , 889−902..
Jing, X.; Li, X.; Di, Y.; Zhao, Y.; Wang, J.; Kang, M.; Li, Q. Effect of the amide units in soft segment and urea units in hard segment on microstructures and physical properties of polyurethane elastomer. Polymer 2021 , 233 , 124205..
Yin, J.; Geng, Q.; Xiao, X.; Wang, S.; Meng, L.; Deng, N.; Xu, J.; Su, B.; Chen, J.; Zhao, W.; Jin, L.; Zha o, C. Mussel-inspired antibacterial sponge for highly efficient water purification and sterilization. J. Hazard. Mater. 2024 , 461 , 132598..
Liu, X.; Xu, T.; Jiang, C.; Li, Y.; Su, B.; Zhao, W.; Zhao, C. Ultraporous polyquaternium-carboxylated chitosan composite hydrogel spheres with anticoagulant, antibacterial, and rapid endotoxin removal profiles for sepsis treatment. Biomacromolecules 2022 , 23 , 3728−3742..
Ni, R.; Opoku, K. N.; Li, X.; Gao, Y.; Wang, Y.; Yang, F. Recent advance in utilization of advanced composite photothermal materials for water disinfection: Synthesis, mechanism, and application. Chin. Chem. Lett. 2025 , 36 , 110813..
Bao, J.; Chen, S.; Liu, X.; Ling, Z.; Jiang, C.; Han, Z.; Wang, W.; Wei, R.; Zhao, C.; Zhao, W. Electrospun groove shaped fibers with excellent hemocompatibility and highly selective capture of live bacteria from blood. Chem. Eng. J. 2025 , 509 , 161250..
Li, Y.; Xia, P.; Wu, J.; Huang, A.; Bu, G.; Meng, F.; Kong, F.; Cao, X.; Han, X.; Yu, G.; Pan, X.; Yang, S.; Zeng, X.; Du, X. The potential sensing molecules and signal cascades for protecting teleost fishes against lipopolysaccharide. Fish Shellfish Immunol. 2020 , 97 , 235−247..
Santos, R. A.; Cardoso, C.; Pedrosa, N.; Gonçalves, G.; Matinha-Cardoso, J.; Coutinho, F.; Carvalho, A. P.; Tamagnini, P.; Oliva-Teles, A.; Oliveira, P.; Serra, C. R. LPS-induced mortality in zebrafish: preliminary characterisation of common fish pathogens. Microorganisms 2023 , 11 , 2205..
[Gan, Z.; Yu, D.; Zhong, Z.; Liang, Q.; Jing, X. Enzymatic degradation of poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(dl-lactide) blends in phosphate buffer solution. Polymer 1999, 40 , 2859−2862..
Liu, Q.; Wang, H. P.; Chen, L.; Li, W. L.; Zong, Y. K.; Sun, Y.; Li, Z. X. Enzymatic degradation of fluorinated poly(ε-caprolactone) (pcl) block copolymer films with improved hydrophobicity. Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 2019 , 165 , 27−34..
0
Views
0
Downloads
0
CSCD
Publicity Resources
Related Articles
Related Author
Related Institution
京公网安备11010802046900号