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Plasmonic nanostructures for environmental monitoring and/or biological applications
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This study used optical tweezer micro-Raman spectroscopy to identify and size-classify microplastics from a Chinese lake, and developed a plasmonic nanostructure system for detecting nanoplastics. Better detection tools for both micro- and nano-scale plastic particles are essential for accurately assessing environmental contamination and human exposure.
In this work, we have identified the size of microplastics collected from Shi Lake, China, using an optical tweezer micro-Raman spectroscopy (OTMRS) system. The microplastics were classified based on their size as products of degradation of large plastic material. Most of them were in the sub-20 μm regime. On the other hand, as nanoplastics may be more extensively distributed and hazardous than larger-sized plastics, their detection is a key point. Thus, we have designed a planar metamaterial structure and have studied the near-field enhancement in order to detect and analyze nanoplastics in aquatic environments with high sensitivity and selectivity. This study paves a way to improve our knowledge of small plastics abundance and pollution in freshwater around Shi Lake.
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Advanced microplastic monitoring using Raman spectroscopy with a combination of nanostructure-based substrates
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Researchers reviewed advances in Raman spectroscopy and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) — a technique that amplifies light signals using metallic nanostructures — for detecting micro- and nanoplastics at trace concentrations in environmental samples, highlighting new plasmonic materials, 3D substrates, and microfluidic chip platforms that enable on-site monitoring.
Detection and analysis of microplastics in the subtropical ocean of Okinawa using micro-Raman Optical Tweezers
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Micro-Raman optical tweezers were used to isolate and identify individual microplastic particles from seawater samples collected off Okinawa, demonstrating that this single-particle technique can characterize polymer composition of very small particles that are difficult to detect with conventional methods.
Raman Tweezers for single nanoplastic particles analysis in liquid environment
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This study demonstrated using Raman Tweezers - combining optical tweezers with Raman spectroscopy - to detect and chemically identify individual nanoplastic particles and tire rubber fragments dispersed in water. The approach enables single-particle analysis of nanoscale plastic contaminants.
Microplastic identification using Raman microsocpy
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Researchers developed and implemented a Raman spectroscopy system for rapid detection and identification of microplastic particles on substrates. The system enables efficient chemical characterization of microplastics found across diverse environmental matrices including ocean, lakes, soil, beach sediment, and human blood.
Detection of microplastics and nanoplastics: Are Raman tweezers and enhanced Raman methods the solution for sub 20 μm particles?
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Raman tweezers — devices that use a laser beam to trap and analyze individual particles — combined with plasmonic enhancement techniques can detect and characterize nanoplastics and microplastics smaller than 20 µm, a size range that defeats most conventional filtration-based detection methods. Improving detection sensitivity for the smallest plastic particles is critical because nanoplastics are thought to be the most biologically active fraction, capable of crossing cell membranes and accumulating in tissues.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.