Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The bouncing threshold in silica nanograin collisions

This molecular dynamics simulation study characterized collision behavior between nanoscale silica particles, identifying the threshold between sticking and bouncing under different impact conditions. It is a materials physics paper with no direct connection to microplastics or environmental health.

2017 Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Nucleation of plasticity in nanoparticle collisions

This physics study used computer simulations to model how nanoparticles deform when they collide at different speeds, finding distinct thresholds between elastic and plastic behavior. This is a materials science study on nanoparticle mechanics with no direct relevance to environmental microplastics.

2016 Physical review. E 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Nontrivial scaling exponents of dislocation avalanches in microplasticity

This physics study analyzed the statistical patterns of small-scale deformation events (dislocation avalanches) in metals to test theoretical models of material plasticity. The research is in materials physics and is not related to environmental microplastics.

2018 Physical Review Materials 41 citations
Article Tier 2

New Insights into the Formation of Aggregates of Bidisperse Nano- and Microplastics in Water Based on the Analysis of In Situ Microscopy and Molecular Simulation

Researchers combined microscopy and molecular simulations to study how nano- and microplastic particles of different sizes clump together in water. They found that mixing particle sizes delays the onset of rapid aggregation but does not change the overall growth pattern. The findings help explain how plastic particles behave in salty water like oceans and wastewater, which is important for designing effective removal strategies.

2024 Langmuir 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Discontinuous yielding of pristine micro-crystals

This theoretical physics paper develops a model for crystal deformation in dislocation-free materials. While not related to environmental science or microplastics, the work contributes to materials science research on plastic deformation at the microscale.

2021 Comptes Rendus Physique 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Structural Compactness Governs the Environmental Fate of Polystyrene Nanoplastics: Reaggregation Mechanisms in Laboratory-Scale Aquatic Systems.

Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles from polystyrene (smaller than the width of a human hair) behave in water under different conditions like saltiness and water movement. They found that these plastic particles can break apart and stick back together, staying suspended in water for long periods and traveling far distances through rivers and oceans. This matters because it means these microscopic plastics could spread widely through water systems and potentially end up in our drinking water and food chain.

2026 Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics display strong stability in aqueous environments: Insights from aggregation behaviour and theoretical calculations

Nanoplastics released into aquatic environments were found to be highly stable and resist aggregation and settling under many conditions, meaning they can persist and disperse widely rather than quickly sinking. This environmental stability makes nanoplastics particularly concerning as long-lived and mobile contaminants in water systems.

2019 Environmental Pollution 187 citations
Article Tier 2

Statistical Thermodynamic Description of Heteroaggregation between Anthropogenic Particulate Matter and Natural Particles in Aquatic Environments

Researchers developed a thermodynamic model to describe how nanoparticles and microplastics aggregate with each other and with natural particles in aquatic environments. Understanding aggregation processes is critical for predicting how microplastics move through water systems and where they ultimately settle.

2021 ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of shape on heteroaggregation of model microplastics: a simulation study

Researchers used molecular dynamics simulations to show that microplastic particle shape strongly influences how they aggregate with organic matter, finding that smooth spherical particles form compact aggregates with weak bonds while sharp-edged shapes form fractal structures with stronger connections that are more resistant to shear flow.

2023 Soft Matter 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular modeling to elucidate the dynamic interaction process and aggregation mechanism between natural organic matters and nanoplastics

Researchers used molecular modeling to understand how nanoplastics interact with natural organic matter found in water environments. They found that the chemical properties of both the plastic surface and the organic molecules determined whether they clumped together or remained dispersed. The study provides new molecular-level insights into how nanoplastics behave and spread in natural water systems, which is important for predicting their environmental fate.

2024 Eco-Environment & Health 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Variety of scaling behaviors in nanocrystalline plasticity

This is a materials science study examining the variety of scaling behaviors observed in nanocrystalline plasticity, exploring how grain size affects deformation mechanisms in metals. It is not related to environmental microplastics.

2020 Physical review. E 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Fluctuations in crystalline plasticity

This theoretical physics paper reviews the statistical patterns of intermittent plastic deformation events—called dislocation avalanches—in crystalline metals at the micro- and nanoscale. The term 'microplastic' here refers to a materials science concept about deformation behavior, not environmental plastic particles.

2021 Comptes Rendus Physique 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Aggregation of microplastics and clay particles in the nearshore environment: Characteristics, influencing factors, and implications

Researchers studied how microplastics interact with natural clay particles in coastal waters, examining how factors like salinity, pH, and particle properties influence their aggregation behavior. They found that microplastics readily form clusters with clay particles, which changes how they settle and move through nearshore environments. Understanding this aggregation process is important for predicting where microplastics end up in coastal ecosystems and their potential exposure to marine organisms.

2022 Water Research 83 citations
Article Tier 2

Aggregation dynamics of nanoplastics: insights through real world waste

Researchers studied the aggregation behavior of nanoplastics generated from real-world plastic waste rather than synthetic laboratory particles. The study found that PET and polystyrene nanoplastics sourced from discarded bottles and packaging exhibited distinct colloidal behaviors in aquatic conditions, providing more realistic insights into how nanoplastics behave in natural environments.

2026 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts
Article Tier 2

Crazing of nanocomposites with polymer-tethered nanoparticles

Using computer simulations, researchers studied how polymer-coated nanoparticles affect the way plastic composites crack and deform under stress. This is a materials science study focused on improving industrial polymers, with no direct connection to microplastic pollution or environmental health effects.

2016 The Journal of Chemical Physics 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Prediction of nanoplastics aggregation in wastewaters

Researchers modeled how nanoplastic particles from degraded plastic waste aggregate in wastewater under different conditions. Understanding aggregation behavior is key to predicting how nanoplastics move through water treatment systems and ultimately whether they reach drinking water sources.

2023 Water Emerging Contaminants & Nanoplastics 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of nanoplastics interacting with a hydrophobic environment in aqueous solution

Researchers used molecular simulations to investigate how nanoplastics interact with abiotic particles like titanium dioxide commonly found in the environment. Understanding nanoplastic aggregation with mineral particles helps predict how these tiny pollutants move and settle in soil and aquatic environments.

2021 RSC Advances 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Atomistic Studies of Nanoindentation—A Review of Recent Advances

This review covers advances in using computer simulations to understand how materials deform at the nanoscale during nanoindentation testing. The research is in materials science and not directly related to environmental microplastics.

2017 Crystals 70 citations
Article Tier 2

On some physical and dynamical properties of microplastic particles in marine environment

This study examined the physical and dynamical properties of microplastic particles in marine environments, using modeling to predict how particle shape, density, and size govern transport, dispersion, and accumulation patterns.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 629 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of Indenter-Size-Dependent Nanoplasticity of Silicon by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

This study used molecular dynamics simulations to investigate how indenter size affects the nanoscale plastic deformation of silicon. It is a materials science study on nanomechanics and is not related to environmental microplastics.

2020 ACS Applied Electronic Materials 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Dislocation Patterning in Deforming Crystals: Theory, Computational Predictions and Validation (Final Technical Report)

This technical report covers a multi-year project on how dislocations — microscopic defects in metal crystals — form patterns during deformation. The research advances fundamental materials science relevant to metal manufacturing and is not directly related to microplastics or environmental health.

2023
Article Tier 2

Effect of deposition, detachment and aggregation processes on nanoparticle transport in porous media using Monte Carlo simulations

Researchers developed a 3D computational model to study how engineered nanoparticles move through porous soil and sediment, accounting for deposition, detachment, and aggregation. Similar models can be applied to understand how nanoplastics and small microplastics move through groundwater systems.

2021 Environmental Science Nano 8 citations
Article Tier 2

How do microplastics interact with other particles in aquatic environments?

This study investigates how microplastics interact with other particles in aquatic environments, examining the physical and chemical mechanisms governing aggregation, adsorption, and co-transport of microplastics with suspended particles. The research is hosted on the Experiment platform for open scientific discovery funding and sharing.

2024
Article Tier 2

Effects of Shape on Interaction Dynamics of Tetrahedral Nanoplastics and the Cell Membrane

Researchers used computer simulations to model how tetrahedral-shaped nanoplastics, which resemble environmentally released plastic fragments, interact with cell membranes. The study found that these sharp-edged particles were readily taken up by lipid membranes, with their movement becoming increasingly constrained as particle size grew, providing fundamental insights into how plastic particle shape affects cellular uptake.

2023 The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 22 citations