Stable staining of microplastics using conjugated polymer nanoparticles

Abstract

Microplastics are a recognised global pollutant, contaminating almost all aspects of our daily life, the detection of which primarily relies on visual inspection. The use of a stable and consistent imaging agent is therefore of paramount importance. In this report, we describe the use of conjugated polymer nanoparticles as staining agents, which can, in specific cases, provide a positive stain up to 30 months after initial marking.