We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
In situ synthesis of gold-core silver-shell nanoparticles on bacterial cellulose for SERS detection of micro- and nanoplastic particles in vegetables
Summary
Researchers developed a novel sensor using gold-silver nanoparticles grown on bacterial cellulose to detect micro- and nanoplastics in leafy vegetables via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. The sensor reliably detected polyethylene and polystyrene particles in kale samples at concentrations as low as a few milligrams per kilogram. This eco-friendly detection platform demonstrates potential for practical monitoring of plastic contamination in food products.
Micro- and nanoplastic particles (MNPs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants, raising significant concerns due to their potential health risks. There is an urgent need for highly sensitive detection methods, especially for complex food samples. This study presents a novel surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensor, developed through in situ synthesis of gold-core silver-shell (Au@Ag) nanoparticles on bacterial cellulose (BC), for detecting MNPs in leafy vegetables. The BC serves as both a biocompatible scaffold and an eco-friendly reducing agent, thereby facilitating the green synthesis of nanoparticles. The BC@Au@Ag sensor enabled reliable detection of polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) micro- and nanoplastics in kale samples at 4 mg kg-1, while the theoretically estimated limits of detection, calculated from weighted regression analysis, were as low as 1.22 mg kg-1 for PS and 3.95 mg kg-1 for PE. Combined recovery and precision analyses confirm the reproducibility and robustness of the BC@Au@Ag SERS platform, demonstrating its suitability for sensitive and reliable monitoring of MNPs in complex food matrices.