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Experimental teaching design for intelligent detection of microplastics using Raman spectroscopy

Weichun Ye1, Haipeng Yang2, Xinyue Liu1, Xianghua Fan1, Zijing Guo1, Minwei Wang1, Xi Qin1, Sha Li1, Baoxin Zhang1, Yongwen Shen1, Zhi-Cong Zeng1   

  1. 1 National Demonstration Center for Experimental Chemistry Education (Lanzhou University), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China;
    2 College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, Guangdong Province, China
  • Received:2025-10-15 Revised:2026-01-06
  • Contact: Weichun Ye, Haipeng Yang, Zhi-Cong Zeng E-mail:yewch@lzu.edu.cn;yanghp@szu.edu.cn;zengzc@lzu.edu.cn

Abstract: To address the gap in intelligent analytical detection within undergraduate experimental curricula, this study designed an integrative experiment of chemistry on the intelligent detection of microplastics via Raman spectroscopy, incorporating galvanometer scanning technology and deep learning. By implementing galvanometer scanning in a conventional Raman spectrometer, efficient localization and spectral acquisition of microplastic particles in complex systems were achieved. A one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) was employed for intelligent component detection of microplastics in mixed samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) was utilized to reduce the dimensionality of spectral data from identical microplastic types, enabling quantitative analysis of microplastic concentrations. This experiment focuses on the forefront of interdisciplinary advancements in chemistry, encompassing artificial intelligence, optical design, and instrumental analysis, thereby establishing a novel pedagogical paradigm that integrates traditional spectral analysis with artificial intelligence.

Key words: Microplastics, Raman spectroscopy, Galvanometer scanning, Deep learning, Intelligent detection