Dresden 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 24: Biopolymers, Biomaterials and Bioinspired Functional Materials II (joint session CPP/BP)
BP 24.7: Vortrag
Mittwoch, 11. März 2026, 18:30–18:45, ZEU/0255
Hetero-aggregation of microplastic particles — Thomas Witzmann1, Anja F. R. M. Ramsperger2, Hao Liu2, Yifan Lu3, Holger Schmalz2, Lucas Kurzweg4, Tom C. D. Börner4, Kathrin Harre4, Andreas Greiner2, Christian Laforsch2, Holger Kress2, Christina Bogner3, Stephan Geckle2, Andreas Fery1, and •Günter K. Auernhammer1 — 1Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden, Germany — 2Universität Bayreuth, Germany — 3Universität zu Köln, Germany — 4Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden, Dresden
Microplastic particles (MPP) in the environment are surrounded by a layer known as an 'eco-corona'. This is made up of natural organic matter (NOM), such as biomolecules, humic substances, and other natural molecules. NOM substantially alters the surface properties of MP particles, thereby influencing their interaction with other surfaces in an aqueous environment and their aggregation behaviour. We studied the interactions of eco-corona-covered MP particles on the nanoscale using colloidal probe-AFM. Measurements were performed at different ionic concentrations to mimic changing environmental conditions. We found that the eco-corona can pull on the silica colloidal probe via polymer bridging. This mechanism leads to aggregation and, consequently, sedimentation in the environment. By comparing our AFM results with experiments and simulations at different length scales, we consistently found that this type of heteroaggregation is conducive to stable aggregate formation and retains MPPs in sediments.
Keywords: Microplastics and Nanoplastics; CP-AFM; Polymer bridging