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Physical vapor deposition of plastics polymers onto Au(111)
Summary
Scientists are still figuring out how to study the tiniest bits of plastic pollution—nanoplastics—which are too small to see and may be small enough to slip into our cells. This study tested a new lab technique for creating controlled samples of these nanoplastics on a surface, an early but necessary step toward understanding how they might affect our health and the environment. The method isn't perfect yet, but it opens the door for future research on these hard-to-study particles.
As a ubiquitous material, plastic has become a contaminant of emerging concern. In the past decades, a new research field has emerged investigating plastic pollution, from fragments with macro- to microscale sizes. However, there remains a knowledge gap for plastics with nanoscale size, and the development of new methods for nanoplastics research is critical towards the understanding of their health and environmental implications. Here, we set the first steps for the deposition of (nano)plastics materials on surfaces which works for several polymer types. Using physical vapor deposition of plastics on a gold single crystal, we show that polymer films and islands in different shapes and sizes form on the substrate. We used mass spectrometry to investigate the evaporation of the polymers and scanning probe microscopy to study their presence on the surface. The resultant growth remains difficult to control in the current setup, however, shows potential for various follow-up studies.