Nanoplastic Analysis by Online Coupling of Raman Microscopy and Field-Flow Fractionation Enabled by Optical Tweezers

Plastic particles are almost omnipresent in our environment. Even though nanoplastic pollution also falls into this area of concern, current analytical approaches reach their limits in this size range.

To address the problem, Schwaferts et al. couple two analytical methods and combine nanoparticle separation with chemical characterization. The methodological setup presented in the paper enables researchers to identify particles of different materials (polymers and inorganic) in the size range from 200 nm to 5 μm, with concentrations in the order of 1 mg/L. The presented technique thus shows potential for application in nanoplastic analysis as well as in many other areas of nanomaterial characterization.

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