Microplastics (MP) are extremely small pieces of plastic debris smaller than 5 millimeters in size that are left behind from plastic pollution, which pose a threat to human health and marine life. In this study, a natural coconut graphene oxide/manganese catalyst will be made and will be tested to see if it enhances the degradation of MPs through PMS activation. The hypothesis is that the coconut graphene oxide/manganese catalyst will help degrade the micro plastics more effectively than only graphene oxide or no catalyst. The null hypothesis is that there is no effect on the degradation of micro plastics from the coconut graphene oxide/manganese catalyst.

       Coconut husks were burned to obtain coconut charcoal powder. This powder was burned in an N₂ atmosphere to make graphene oxide. MnCl₂ was added to the graphene oxide and both substances were mixed into isopropyl alcohol. This mixture was sonicated for 30 minutes and then refluxed for 30 minutes at 80℃. KMnO₄ was added to the previous mixture. Refluxing continued for one hour and the final solution was filtered and dried at 50℃ to form the catalyst. The catalyst was then added to MPs and PMS in water and put in a water bath for various hours. The MPs were then dried, filtered, and weighed for the final mass. Data was collected using mass-loss equations, FTIR Spectroscopy, and X-Ray Diffraction.

       This study demonstrated that a successful natural graphene oxide/manganese catalyst was produced and effectively degraded MPs. Mass loss data showed the catalyst degraded a higher percentage of MPs compared to the control. FTIR analysis showed that the graphene oxide/manganese catalyst contained greater peaks at the carbon-based bonds, such as the C≡N and C-O bonds, compared to the coconut charcoal. In the X-ray diffraction, there was a higher peak in the graphene oxide than the coconut charcoal, indicating that a change had taken place between the two substances and that graphene oxide had been formed. Further research is needed to test the catalyst in its ability to degrade microplastics and more techniques need to be utilized to further determine the composition of the catalyst, such as elemental analysis and SEM imaging.