Microplastic
(MP) pollution is a global challenge that requires
immediate mitigation practices. Monitoring is crucial for quantifying
MPs, but their mitigation remains very challenging due to several
factors, including the lack of selective materials to specific polymers,
and the low sensitivity of the current detection techniques. In this
work, we introduce a novel design for the selective detection of MPs
through fluorescence spectroscopy by exploiting conjugated polymer
nanoparticles (CPNs). Fluorescent diketopyrrolopyrrole nanoparticles
were prepared by nanoprecipitation to incorporate peripheral hyaluronic
acid to increase their affinity for various plastics. The affinity
of the new ligand for various types of MPs was examined through several
characterization techniques, including fluorescence spectroscopy and
microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and computational studies.
The new CPN were shown to be highly fluorescent in the presence of
typically abundant MPs, achieving very strong binding constants in
the picomolar range. This very strong affinity for a broad family
of plastics was found to be the results of cooperative supramolecular
effects and topographical affinity, as probed by advanced microscopy
and in silico studies. Furthermore, the new affinity probes were shown
to be highly selective for MPs, allowing for their detection in heterogeneous
samples, including soil debris and other organic contaminants. The
new materials design introduced in this work constitute a promising
platform for the development of novel MP detection devices directly
useable at the point of collection. Moreover, it opens new avenue
for the mitigation of this environmental hazard through tailorable
materials.
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