Polymers are known to spontaneously produce micro- and nanoplastics but the mechanisms by which environmentally-triggered Å-level random bond breaking events lead to the formation of these relatively large fragments are unclear. Here, the authors show that chain scission accumulates in the amorphous phase of a semicrystalline morphology which leads to mechanical failure and the concurrent release of nanoplastics even under quiescent conditions.
- Nicholas F. Mendez
- Vivek Sharma
- Sanat K. Kumar
