Microplastic

The pollution with microplastic is one of the major environmental crises of our time. However, the degradation processes under natural conditions and the interplay between microplastic surfaces and surroundings are not fully understood yet. As part of the microplastic SFB at the University of Bayreuth, we want to shed light on these important questions of the 21st century.

With solid state NMR spectroscopy, tiny defects in aged polymer samples are analysed to clarify the degradation processes under natural conditions. Furthermore, we investigate the surface interactions of microplastic particles and the degradation and migration behaviour of additives within these particles.