Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Direct On-Analyte Fabrication of Au Nanoparticles for Substrate-Free SERS Detection of Micro and Nanoplastics

Scientists developed a novel technique where gold nanoparticles are grown directly onto the surface of polystyrene plastic beads, enabling highly sensitive detection of the beads using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) without needing a separate detection substrate. This proof-of-concept approach allows individual plastic particles to be optically fingerprinted even at extremely low concentrations. Advancing detection sensitivity is critical as researchers try to track nanoplastics — the smallest and most health-relevant plastic particles — in environmental and biological samples.

2025 ACS Omega 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of Sub-Micro- and Nanoplastic Particles on Gold Nanoparticle-Based Substrates through Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Spectroscopy

Gold nanoparticle-based SERS substrates were used to detect sub-micro and nanoplastic particles including polystyrene, PET, and PVC, demonstrating that this technique can identify plastic particles below the size threshold of conventional Raman microscopy.

2021 Nanomaterials 96 citations
Article Tier 2

Submicron- and nanoplastic detection at low micro- to nanogram concentrations using gold nanostar-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates

This study developed gold nanostar-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates capable of detecting submicron- and nanoplastic particles at very low concentrations (micro- to nanogram per liter), filling a gap in analytical methods for the smallest plastic particles in complex matrices such as food and marine waters.

2023 Environmental Science Nano 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Meniscus‐Confined 3D Printed Nanoparticles: A Comparative Study of Quantitative SERS Detection of Microplastics

Detecting microplastics accurately in environmental samples is technically challenging, and this study introduces a new approach using 3D-printed silver and gold nanoparticle surfaces that amplify the light signal from microplastics when analyzed by Raman spectroscopy. Both types of printed substrates could detect plastic particles at concentrations as low as 0.3–1.2 micrograms per milliliter, with high reproducibility across dozens of repeated measurements. This technology could make routine, sensitive microplastic monitoring faster and more practical for environmental agencies and researchers.

2026 ChemistrySelect
Article Tier 2

Development of a simple SERS substrate for the detection of pollutants and nanoplastics

Researchers fabricated silver- and gold-coated silicon SERS substrates and demonstrated their ability to detect nanoplastic particles as small as 50 nm by Raman mapping, achieving picomolar sensitivity for model compounds and showing strong potential for environmental monitoring of nanoplastics in food and water.

2025 Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of nanoplastics through low-cost SERS substrates, based on 3D islands of aggregated gold nanoparticles on aluminum foil, for wide ranging applications

Researchers developed a low-cost surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate by combining aluminium foil with 3D aggregates of gold nanoparticles stabilised by cucurbit[5]uril, enabling sensitive nanoplastic detection through plasmonic coupling. The substrate achieved trace-level analyte detection and offers a practical, scalable approach for nanoplastic identification across a wide range of environmental and analytical applications.

2024
Article Tier 2

A gold nanoparticle doped flexible substrate for microplastics SERS detection

Researchers developed a gold nanoparticle-doped filter paper as a flexible substrate for detecting microplastics using surface-enhanced Raman scattering. The method achieved a minimum detectable concentration of 0.1 grams per liter for PET in water and was successfully validated by detecting microplastics in tap water and pond water samples.

2022 Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 51 citations
Article Tier 2

On-Site Detection of Nanoplastics in Liquid Phase by SERS Method

Researchers developed an on-site detection method for nanoplastics in liquid samples using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), achieving sensitive identification without the laboratory infrastructure required by conventional GC-MS approaches. The SERS method successfully differentiated nanoplastic types in environmental water samples, offering a practical tool for rapid field-deployable nanoplastic monitoring.

2025
Article Tier 2

A Highly Sensitive SERS Substrate for Detection of Nanoplastics in Water

Researchers developed a highly sensitive SERS-based substrate for detecting nanoplastic particles in water at very low concentrations. Improved detection tools for nanoplastics are essential for monitoring their presence in drinking water and understanding exposure risks to human health.

2023
Article Tier 2

From molecular to nanoplastic SERS detection: insights into the role of analytes in plasmonic substrate design

Researchers investigated the gap between using probe molecules to demonstrate SERS substrate efficiency and the practical detection of nanoplastics, developing substrates and protocols that can identify and characterize nanoplastic particles directly in environmental samples.

2025 Nanoscale
Article Tier 2

Selective Labeling of Small Microplastics with SERS-Tags Based on Gold Nanostars: Method Optimization Using Polystyrene Beads and Application in Environmental Samples

Researchers developed a novel method using gold nanostar-based SERS tags to selectively label and rapidly detect small microplastics on environmental sample filters. The technique reduced analysis time by roughly two orders of magnitude compared to conventional micro-Raman spectroscopy methods. The approach was validated on both fabricated and real marine samples, offering a promising tool for faster microplastic monitoring in environmental studies.

2024 ACS Omega 11 citations
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

Development of Gold Nanostars Doped Flexible Substrate for Polystyrene Microplastic Detection Using Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (sers)

Detecting microplastics in the environment requires fast, sensitive analytical tools, and this study developed a low-cost sensor using gold nanostars on a flexible substrate to detect polystyrene microplastics via surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The gold nanostar structures amplify the Raman signal of plastic particles, enabling detection at very low concentrations. This kind of portable, affordable detection technology could help expand microplastic monitoring beyond well-equipped research labs.

2025 Detritus 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Portable surface-enhanced Raman scattering platform for rapid identification of nanoplastics at single-particle level

Researchers developed a portable, gold-nanoparticle-coated paper substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) that detects individual plastic particles down to 1 part per trillion, enabling rapid field identification of polystyrene and nylon nanoplastics released from food containers and teabags without laboratory equipment.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Controllable preparation of mesoporous spike gold nanocrystals for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy detection of micro/nanoplastics in water

Researchers developed a novel detection method combining membrane filtration and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using specially synthesized spiked gold nanocrystals to detect nanoplastics in water. The method can simultaneously enrich and detect nanoplastic particles as small as 20 nanometers, addressing a significant gap in reliable detection techniques for these small plastic contaminants that have been found in human blood and placenta.

2023 Environmental Research 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Flexible Au tape-based SERS sensor for atmospheric microplastic detection

Researchers developed a flexible gold nanoparticle tape sensor that uses a laser-light technique called SERS (surface-enhanced Raman scattering) to rapidly detect and identify different types of microplastics directly from air samples. This tool fills a major gap in microplastic monitoring by enabling real-time identification of airborne plastic particles, which are among the least-studied exposure routes.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology
Article Tier 2

Hetero-charge-based surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy: An in situ rapid detection strategy for real marine nanoplastics

Researchers developed an in situ SERS detection method using oppositely charged gold nanoparticles to capture and identify nanoplastics directly in seawater without filtration or drying, achieving a detection limit of 0.1 µg/mL in artificial seawater and successfully identifying polystyrene in a real marine sample.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

A Scalable Synthesis of Ag Nanoporous Film As an Efficient SERS-Substrates for Sensitive Detection of Nanoplastics

Researchers developed a new sensor using silver nanoparticles that can detect nanoplastics at very low concentrations using a technique called SERS (surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy). The sensor could identify tiny polystyrene particles down to 50 nanometers in size. Better detection tools like this are essential for monitoring nanoplastic contamination in food and water, since current methods often miss the smallest and potentially most dangerous plastic particles.

2024 Langmuir 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Strategies and Challenges of Identifying Nanoplastics in Environment by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Researchers reviewed the use of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) as a tool for detecting nanoplastics, which are plastic particles smaller than one micrometer. The study found that SERS offers high sensitivity for identifying individual nanoparticles, but significant challenges remain in applying this technique to complex environmental samples. The review outlines strategies for improving SERS-based nanoplastic detection to better assess environmental and health risks.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 170 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanostructured Raman substrates for the sensitive detection of submicrometer-sized plastic pollutants in water

Researchers developed nanostar-dimer-embedded nanopore substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and showed they can detect submicron polystyrene microplastic particles as small as 0.4 micrometers at concentrations of 50 ppm within minutes and without sample pretreatment, offering a sensitive and rapid analytical tool for detecting the smallest plastic pollutants in water.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 149 citations
Article Tier 2

The onset of surface-enhanced Raman scattering for single-particle detection of submicroplastics

Researchers demonstrated surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) using gold nanourchins as a detection method for submicroplastic polystyrene particles at the single-particle level, addressing a critical monitoring gap for plastics smaller than 1 micrometer. The approach offers a promising analytical solution for detecting submicron and nanoplastics that conventional techniques cannot reliably quantify.

2022 Journal of Environmental Sciences 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Sub-ppm-level detection of nanoplastics using au nanograting and application to disposable plasticware

A gold nanograting sensor using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was able to detect polystyrene nanoplastics in water at concentrations as low as 0.1 parts per million — well below the detection limit of standard Raman systems — and was applied to detect nanoplastics leaching from a plastic bowl heated in a microwave. The sensor offers a pathway to rapid, sensitive detection of nanoplastics released from everyday plastic food containers. Knowing how much nanoplastic leaches from heated plasticware is directly relevant to human dietary exposure.

2024 Spectroscopy Letters 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Superhydrophobic Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) Substrates for Sensitive Detection of Trace Nanoplastics in Water

Researchers developed a new method to detect extremely small nanoplastics in water by combining a water-repelling surface that concentrates particles with a technique called SERS that amplifies their chemical signal. The method can identify common nanoplastics like polystyrene and PMMA at very low concentrations, which is an important step toward monitoring these tiny pollutants that are difficult to detect with current tools.

2025 Analytical Chemistry 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Latest Advances and Developments to Detection of Micro‐ and Nanoplastics Using Surface‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

This review examines the latest developments in using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to detect micro- and nanoplastics in various environmental samples. Researchers found that SERS offers significantly improved sensitivity compared to conventional methods, enabling detection of smaller plastic particles. The study suggests that SERS-based approaches hold promise for advancing nanoplastic detection, though challenges around standardization and reproducibility remain.

2022 Particle & Particle Systems Characterization 52 citations