Preparation of Nanoscale Particles of Five Major Polymers as Potential Standards for the Study of Nanoplastics
Preparation of Nanoscale Particles of Five Major Polymers as Potential Standards for the Study of Nanoplastics
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DOI：
10.1002/smll.202105781
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发表时间：
2021-11-01
期刊：
影响因子：
13.3
通讯作者：
Suzuki, Go
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Tanaka, Kosuke;Takahashi, Yusuke;Suzuki, Go
纳米塑料很可能在环境中无处不在，其潜在的毒性作用令人担忧。然而，关于纳米塑料分布的定量信息仍然缺乏，由于缺乏合适的标准材料，毒性测试仅限于少数选定的聚合物，这些标准材料应该是具有可标准化形态的纳米颗粒，性能可与商业聚合物相媲美，并且没有杂质。在这里，发展了一种基于沉淀法的制备球形纳米粒子而不引入杂质的方法。用这种方法制备的五种主要聚合物--低密度聚乙烯、高密度聚乙烯、聚丙烯、聚氯乙烯和聚苯乙烯--的分子量分布、结晶度和热性能与商业聚合物的分子量分布、结晶度和热性能相似，表明它们有可能作为标准的纳米塑料颗粒使用。这项研究为合成标准纳米塑料颗粒提供了一种基本方法，这将有助于量化环境中纳米塑料的浓度并测试其毒性，这是评估与接触它们相关的风险所必需的。
Nanoplastics are likely ubiquitous in the environment, and their potential toxic effects are a concern. However, quantitative information about the distribution of nanoplastics is still lacking, and toxicity tests are limited to a few select polymers because of the lack of appropriate standard materials, which should be nanoscale particles with standardizable morphologies, properties comparable to those of commercial polymers, and no impurities. Here, a precipitation-based method for preparing spherical nanoscale particles without the introduction of impurities is developed. The similarity of the molecular weight distributions, crystallinities, and thermal properties of five major polymers prepared using this method-low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene-to those of commercial polymers indicate their potential for use as standard nanoplastic particles. This study provides a fundamental approach for the synthesis of standard nanoplastic particles that will facilitate quantification of the concentrations of nanoplastics in the environment and tests of their toxicity, which are required to assess the risks associated with exposure to them.