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

The detection of sub-ppm levels of nanoplastics using a surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensor was demonstrated. The proposed Au nanograting as surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensor, fabricated using nanoimprint lithography and oblique angle deposition, was designed to contain nanoplastics with enhanced local plasmonic fields. Electromagnetic simulations and Raman measurements show that the plasmonic field enhanced inside the nanograting enables the detection of Raman signal from 50-nm-sized polystyrene nanoparticles in 3-μL-droplets at a concertation of 0.1 ppm. Furthermore, the proposed sensor was applied to detect polystyrene in microwave-heated water in a disposable bowl. The results show that the proposed sensor offers promising potential for detecting nanoplastics released from plasticware.