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Plasmonic filter paper for microplastic detection: SERS enhancement, size dependence, and quantitative limitations.
Minjeong Kim1, Donggeon Lee1, Dong-Wook Shin1
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Hanbat National University Daejeon Republic of Korea jungsub.wi@hanbat.ac.kr.
RSC Advances
|December 17, 2025
Summary
Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) can detect small microplastics but struggles with quantifying larger ones. Accurate microplastic concentration analysis requires advanced methods beyond simple SERS intensity measurements.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Public concern over microplastic exposure necessitates reliable detection methods.
- Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) offers chemical identification of microplastics at trace levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- Evaluate SERS dependence on microplastic size.
- Assess limitations of SERS in quantitative microplastic analysis.
Main Methods:
- Fabricated SERS-active substrates using gold film on filter paper via oblique-angle deposition.
- Evaluated substrate enhancement using electromagnetic simulations and polystyrene microplastic measurements.
Main Results:
- Raman signals detectable for 1 µm microplastics without SERS; 200 nm particles require SERS.
- No clear correlation between Raman intensity and concentration (10-1000 ppm) for either size.
- Analyte size comparable to laser focal spot limits quantitative SERS analysis.
Conclusions:
- SERS is effective for detecting smaller microplastics (≤ 200 nm).
- Quantifying microplastic concentrations with SERS is challenging due to size-dependent signal variations.
- Advanced techniques like area mapping are crucial to avoid misleading interpretations in SERS-based quantification.
