Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Cell Response to Nanoplastics and Their Carrier Effects Tracked Real-Timely with Machine Learning-Driven Smart Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Slides

Researchers developed a novel smart sensor slide that can track in real time how living cells respond to nanoplastic exposure at the molecular level. Using specially designed core-shell plastic nanoparticles with embedded tracking signals, they could monitor each stage from initial cell contact through absorption and eventual cell damage. The technology offers a powerful new tool for studying how nanoplastics interact with human cells and carry other pollutants into the body.

2025 Analytical Chemistry 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Machine Learning-Assisted “Shrink-Restricted” SERS Strategy for Classification of Environmental Nanoplastic-Induced Cell Death

Researchers developed a machine learning-assisted technique using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to track how nanoplastics from environmental sources affect human cells. They found that environmentally derived nanoplastics were more toxic than pristine laboratory versions, largely because pollutants adsorbed onto their surfaces amplified the harmful effects. The study reveals that the real-world "carrier effect" of nanoplastics, where they transport other pollutants into cells, may pose a greater health risk than the plastic particles alone.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Machine Learning-Aided 3D Dynamic SERS Strategy for Physiological Mapping: Biotoxicity of Environmentally Dimensional Aged Nanoplastics and Corresponding Protein Corona Complexes

Researchers used a new combination of 3D surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and machine learning to study the toxicity of nanoplastics on cells. They found that aged nanoplastics and those coated with proteins from the environment caused different types of cell damage depending on the plastic type. This approach could help scientists more rapidly assess the biological hazards of nanoplastics found in the environment.

2024 Analytical Chemistry 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of Polystyrene Uptake by Different Cell Lines Using Fluorescence Microscopy and Label-Free Visualization of Intracellular Polystyrene Particles by Raman Microspectroscopic Imaging

Scientists tested how human cells take up polystyrene microplastic particles using three cell types that represent the lung lining, intestinal lining, and immune system. All three cell types absorbed the microplastic beads, with immune cells showing different uptake patterns compared to the barrier cells of the lungs and gut. This study confirms that microplastics can enter human cells through multiple exposure routes, including breathing and eating, and that immune cells may play a special role in processing these particles.

2024 Cells 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterizing nanoplastics‐induced stress and its SERS fingerprint in an intestinal membrane model

Researchers used SERS (surface-enhanced Raman scattering) to detect nanoplastic-induced stress in a Caco-2 intestinal epithelial membrane model, finding that amine-functionalized polystyrene nanoparticles disrupted barrier function and produced distinct spectral fingerprints in the extracellular medium, demonstrating a non-invasive method for monitoring nanoplastic cellular stress.

2021 Nano Select 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Label-free stimulated Raman scattering imaging of intracellular microplastics in mammalian cells

Researchers used label-free stimulated Raman scattering imaging to visualize microplastic uptake and distribution inside mammalian cells without fluorescent labels, finding that intracellular microplastics were associated with elevated reactive oxygen species, reduced cell viability, and altered lipid metabolism.

2025
Article Tier 2

Identification of polystyrene nanoplastics using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Researchers demonstrated for the first time that surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using silver nanoparticles can identify polystyrene nanoplastics as small as 50 nm in real water samples, providing a rapid detection method that bypasses conventional sample preparation and could advance environmental monitoring of nanoplastics previously invisible to standard analytical techniques.

2020 Talanta 207 citations
Article Tier 2

Breaking the Size Barrier: SERS-Based Ultrasensitive Detection and Quantification of Polystyrene Plastics in Real Water Samples

Researchers developed a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method capable of detecting and quantifying polystyrene plastic particles of various sizes — including nanoplastics — in real environmental water samples at ultrasensitive concentrations.

2025 Analytical Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Raman-spektroskopische Charakterisierung von Zellen und Gewebe nach Exposition mit Nanoplastik

Researchers exposed human monocytic THP-1 cells, trophoblasts, and placenta cells to primary and secondary nanoplastic particles at 100 particles/cell in sizes of 200 nm and 60 nm, then used confocal laser scanning microscopy and Raman microspectroscopy to locate and characterize intracellular nanoplastics.

2022 LIBDOC - Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau
Article Tier 2

Tracing micro and nanoplastics toxicity in human pulmonary fibroblasts through integrated Raman and transcriptomic analyses

Researchers used integrated Raman spectroscopy and transcriptomic analysis to trace the cellular effects of micro- and nanoplastic exposure on human pulmonary fibroblasts. They found that plastic particle exposure altered gene expression patterns related to inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular structure. The study provides molecular-level evidence that inhaled microplastics can trigger measurable biological responses in lung cells, supporting concerns about respiratory health risks.

2025 Scientific Reports 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Correlative spectroscopy and microscopy analysis of micro- and nanoplastics in complex biological matrices

Researchers combined fluorescence, second harmonic generation, and coherent Raman scattering microscopy in a single instrument to image micro- and nanoplastics in lung cells, zebrafish, and mouse tissues. Polystyrene nanoplastics crossed the blood-brain barrier and accumulated in lipid-rich brain regions in mouse models.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Biodistribution and toxicity analysis of polystyrene nanoplastics in mice based on Raman detection

Researchers used surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy with an optimized gold-silver nanorod substrate to detect and track 20 nm, 100 nm, and 1000 nm polystyrene nanoplastics in mouse lungs, demonstrating accurate biodistribution mapping down to 0.01 mg/mL concentration.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Correlative spectroscopy and microscopy analysis of micro- and nanoplastics in complex biological matrices

Researchers combined fluorescence microscopy, second harmonic generation imaging, and coherent Raman scattering to detect and map micro- and nanoplastics in lung cells, zebrafish, and mouse tissues. Polystyrene nanoplastics were found to cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in lipid-rich brain regions in animal models.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Trapping tiny pollutants: SERS-driven strategies for microplastics and nanoplastics detection

This review explores how surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is being developed as a highly sensitive tool for detecting and identifying micro- and nanoplastics in environmental and biological samples. Researchers highlight recent advances in sensor design, the integration of machine learning for improved accuracy, and the technique's potential for real-world monitoring. The study also identifies key challenges, including signal variability and the lack of standardized methods, that need to be resolved for broader adoption.

2025 iScience 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Nanoplastic-Induced Disruption in CellularGlutathione Metabolism Using a Bubble-Assisted Photothermal CaptureSERS Sensor

Using a new analytical approach to simultaneously measure cellular glutathione and its oxidized form, researchers found that both fresh and aged nanoplastics disrupt cellular redox homeostasis, with aged particles showing altered surface properties that affect the severity of oxidative stress.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Imaging and quantifying the biological uptake and distribution of nanoplastics using a dual-functional model material

Researchers developed a dual-functional nanoplastic model material that allows both imaging and precise quantification of nanoplastic uptake in biological systems. Using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, they could track where nanoplastics accumulated in organisms at high resolution. The tool addresses a major gap in nanoplastic research by enabling more accurate measurement of how these tiny particles interact with living tissues.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantitative and rapid detection of nanoplastics labeled by luminescent metal phenolic networks using surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Researchers developed a detection method using luminescent metal-phenolic network tags combined with portable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) that can identify and quantify multiple nanoplastic types (polystyrene, PMMA, PLA) as small as 50 nm at concentrations as low as 0.1 µg/mL in field-deployable settings.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Uptake of Breathable Nano- and Micro-Sized Polystyrene Particles: Comparison of Virgin and Oxidised nPS/mPS in Human Alveolar Cells

Researchers compared uptake of virgin and oxidized polystyrene nano- and microparticles in human lung cells, finding that photoaged particles showed altered surface chemistry and different cellular internalization patterns relevant to realistic airborne microplastic exposure.

2023 Toxics 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Label-Free Live-Cell Imaging of Internalized Microplastics and Cytoplasmic Organelles with Multicolor CARS Microscopy

Label-free multicolor coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy was used to simultaneously visualize internalized microplastics and cellular organelles in live cells without requiring fluorescent staining. The approach enables real-time tracking of plastic particle interactions with intracellular structures, offering new insight into how microplastics behave inside human cells.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Localisation and identification of polystyrene particles in tissue sections using Raman spectroscopic imaging

Researchers developed a Raman spectroscopic imaging method to localize and identify polystyrene microplastic particles directly within tissue sections, enabling in-situ detection without fluorescent labeling and making environmental sample analysis feasible.

2023 NanoImpact 12 citations
Article Tier 2

SERS imaging and ICP-MS quantification of the biological uptake of nanoplastics using a dual-detectable model nanomaterial

Researchers synthesized a dual-detectable nanoplastic model with a gold nanoparticle core surrounded by a polymer shell, enabling simultaneous in situ visualization by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and ex situ quantification by mass spectrometry, providing a more accurate tool for studying nanoplastic uptake in biological systems.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Advanced microplastic monitoring using Raman spectroscopy with a combination of nanostructure-based substrates

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.

2022 Journal of nanostructure in chemistry 46 citations
Article Tier 2

In situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for the detection of nanoplastics: A novel approach inspired by the aging of nanoplastics

Researchers developed a novel in-situ SERS (surface-enhanced Raman scattering) detection method for nanoplastics that exploits UV photoaging to generate silver nanoparticles directly on particle surfaces, enabling highly sensitive identification of polystyrene, PVC, and PET nanoplastics in real lake water samples at concentrations as low as 1 × 10⁻⁶ mg/mL.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Cellular uptake of polystyrene nanoplastics with surface Functionalization: An AIE-based quantitative approach

Researchers developed a new fluorescence-based method to precisely measure how cells take up nanoplastics with different surface coatings. They found that nanoplastics with carboxyl (acidic) surface groups were absorbed significantly more by immune cells than unmodified particles, and also caused greater cell damage. The study matters because as plastics weather in the environment, their surface chemistry changes, which may make them more likely to enter and harm living cells.

2025 Analytica Chimica Acta 3 citations