Peptide Specific Nanoplastic Detection Based on Sandwich Typed Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Microplastic pollution, especially nanoplastics, poses significant environmental and biological risks.
• Current methods for nanoplastic detection are limited in selectivity and sensitivity.
• Developing effective sensors for nanoplastics is crucial for environmental monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel sensor system for the selective detection of nanoplastics.
• To enhance the sensitivity of nanoplastic detection using gold nanoparticles and peptide probes.
• To demonstrate a new protocol for overcoming limitations in conventional nanoplastic detection.

Main Methods:

• A localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) system utilizing gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) was designed.
• Bio-mimicked peptide probes were chemically conjugated to Au NPs for selective nanoplastic recognition.
• A sandwich-binding approach with Au NPs was employed to amplify the sensing signal.
• UV-Vis spectrophotometry was used to measure absorbance changes and peak shifts for detection.

Main Results:

• The LSPR system demonstrated selective binding to polystyrene (PS) nanoplastics.
• The sandwich-binding strategy enhanced LSPR detection sensitivity by up to 60%.
• The sensor successfully detected putative PS nanoplastics in a real-world sample (microwave-boiled DI water from a styrofoam container).

Conclusions:

• The developed LSPR system with peptide probes offers a promising solution for selective and sensitive nanoplastic detection.
• This novel protocol addresses limitations of existing nanoplastic detection methodologies.
• The system has potential applications in environmental monitoring and risk assessment of microplastic pollution.