Fluorescent carbon dot embedded polystyrene particle: an alternative to fluorescently tagged polystyrene for fate of microplastic studies: a preliminary investigation

Laboratory-based experiments using fluorescently labeled microplastic particles are common techniques for studying the fate of microplastic in the environment. However, the stability of fluorescent dyes used to label microplastic particles becomes an issue and can create artifacts due to the leaching of dyes. Here, we synthesize fluorescent polystyrene (PS) particles by embedding carbon dots (CDs), thus eliminating problems associated with the stability of dyes. Polystyrene particles were synthesized by mini-emulsion polymerization. Hydrophobic CDs were obtained from candle soot and were dispersed in the monomer before the mini-emulsion polymerization. The carbon dot embedded polymer particles (CDPS) show blue fluorescence on UV 370 nm excitation. This material could be a viable and more reliable alternative to fluorescently labeled PS particles in microplastic studies.