Mona Said, “Detecting Microplastics in Water Using Gold Nanostars and SERS”
Mentor: Ashwin Narasimhan, Biomedical Engineering, Engineering & Applied Science (College of)
Poster #137
Microplastics are tiny plastic pieces less than 5 mm in size that pollute water and may harm the environment and human health. Finding these small particles in water is difficult, so better detection methods are needed. This study looks at how gold nanostars (AuNS) can improve the ability of Raman spectroscopy to detect microplastics. Gold nanostars have special properties that make signals stronger, helping to identify different types of plastic. We created AuNS using a chemical process and modified them so they would stick to common plastics like polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene. Then, we used a Raman spectrometer to analyze the plastic samples and identify their unique signal patterns. To test how well this method works, we added known amounts of microplastics to water and measured how easily they could be detected. The results showed that AuNS significantly improved the detection of microplastics, even at very low levels. This approach is fast, does not require labels or complex preparation, and is more sensitive than older methods like infrared spectroscopy or gas chromatography. In the future, we hope to refine the AuNS production process, improve how they interact with plastics, and use machine learning to make data analysis easier. This research could help develop better tools for tracking microplastic pollution and protecting water quality.