Microplastics · Photo-oxidation
unseel.com · UV radical chain · Norrish scission · fragmentation
Backbone C–C ≈ 348 kJ/mol
Marker carbonyl C=O 1715 cm⁻¹
phase
Polyethylene chain (–CH₂–)
UV photons (hν)
Oxygen O₂ / radicals
Carbonyl C=O groups
Fragments drifting in water
Unseel.com · The Chemistry of Microplastics