Witzmann T, Ramsperger AFRM, Wieland S, Laforsch C, Kress H, Fery A, Auernhammer GK (2022)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2022
Book Volume: 38
Pages Range: 8748-8756
Journal Issue: 29
DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c03204
The environmental fate and toxicity of microplastic particles are dominated by their surface properties. In the environment, an adsorbed layer of biomolecules and natural organic matter forms the so-called eco-corona. A quantitative description of how this eco-corona changes the particles' colloidal interactions is still missing. Here, we demonstrate with colloidal probe-atomic force microscopy that eco-corona formation on microplastic particles introduces a compressible film on the surface, which changes the mechanical behavior. We measure single particle-particle interactions and find a pronounced increase of long-range repulsive interactions upon eco-corona formation. These force-separation characteristics follow the Alexander-de Gennes (AdG) polymer brush model under certain conditions. We further compare the obtained fitting parameters to known systems like polyelectrolyte multilayers and propose these as model systems for the eco-corona. Our results show that concepts of fundamental polymer physics, like the AdG model, also help in understanding more complex systems like biomolecules adsorbed to surfaces, i.e., the eco-corona.
APA:
Witzmann, T., Ramsperger, A.F.R.M., Wieland, S., Laforsch, C., Kress, H., Fery, A., & Auernhammer, G.K. (2022). Repulsive Interactions of Eco-corona-Covered Microplastic Particles Quantitatively Follow Modeling of Polymer Brushes. Langmuir, 38(29), 8748-8756. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c03204
MLA:
Witzmann, Thomas, et al. "Repulsive Interactions of Eco-corona-Covered Microplastic Particles Quantitatively Follow Modeling of Polymer Brushes." Langmuir 38.29 (2022): 8748-8756.
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