Physical vapor deposition of plastics polymers onto Au(111)

As a ubiquitous material, plastic has become a contaminant of emerging concern. In the past decades, a new research field has emerged investigating plastic pollution, from fragments with macro- to microscale sizes. However, there remains a knowledge gap for plastics with nanoscale size, and the development of new methods for nanoplastics research is critical towards the understanding of their health and environmental implications. Here, we set the first steps for the deposition of (nano)plastics materials on surfaces which works for several polymer types. Using physical vapor deposition of plastics on a gold single crystal, we show that polymer films and islands in different shapes and sizes form on the substrate. We used mass spectrometry to investigate the evaporation of the polymers and scanning probe microscopy to study their presence on the surface. The resultant growth remains difficult to control in the current setup, however, shows potential for various follow-up studies.