2026-10-12T09:27:56Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/32826167 2026-10-01T16:10:21Z portal_1172 item_type_8 month_year_10_2026

Rapid and low-cost detection platform for micro- and nanoplastics Udit Pant (16023973) PUREID: 660600053 Microplastics nanoplastics SERS chewing gum Raman Plastics degrade into micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), which are increasingly detected in environmental and biological systems, raising concerns about human exposure and health risks. Nanoplastics (NPs) are particularly challenging to detect due to their small size and low Raman cross-sections, limiting current analytical capabilities. Given that a significant proportion of plastics are used in food-contact materials, understanding MNP release from consumer products is essential. This thesis develops cost-effective, flexible SERS substrates combined with automated Raman mapping for sensitive and high-throughput MNP detection. Chapter 1 reviews existing detection methods, identifies limitations in SERS-based approaches, and outlines research gaps. Chapter 2 introduces nanoparticle-on-foil (NPoF) substrates fabricated from aluminium and copper foils modified with gold nanospheres, achieving detection of 100 nm polystyrene NPs at 1 µg/ml and quantifying over 250,000 MPs from chewing gum samples. Chapter 3 advances this approach using AuNP@AI and AuNSt@AI substrates, lowering detection limits to 0.1 µg/ml and enabling NP detection from microwave-safe containers after repeated heating cycles. Chapter 4 synthesizes findings and highlights the potential of these low-cost platforms for point-of-site monitoring. Overall this work advances scalable, affordable SERS-based strategies for MNP detection, bridging laboratory precision and real-world application. Thesis is embargoed until 31 December 2026. 2026-10-01T16:10:21Z Text Thesis 10.17034/32826167.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Rapid_and_low-cost_detection_platform_for_micro-_and_nanoplastics/32826167 All Rights Reserved Open Access after 2026-12-31