Rapid and low-cost detection platform for micro- and nanoplastics

Nanoplastics (NPs) are particularly challenging to detect due to their small size and low Raman cross-sections, limiting current analytical capabilities. Given that a significant proportion of plastics are used in food-contact materials, understanding MNP release from consumer products is essential. <br><br>This thesis develops cost-effective, flexible SERS substrates combined with automated Raman mapping for sensitive and high-throughput MNP detection.

Chapter 1 reviews existing detection methods, identifies limitations in SERS-based approaches, and outlines research gaps. Chapter 2 introduces nanoparticle-on-foil (NPoF) substrates fabricated from aluminium and copper foils modified with gold nanospheres, achieving detection of 100 nm polystyrene NPs at 1 µg/ml and quantifying over 250,000 MPs from chewing gum samples. Chapter 3 advances this approach using AuNP@AI and AuNSt@AI substrates, lowering detection limits to 0.1 µg/ml and enabling NP detection from microwave-safe containers after repeated heating cycles.