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Differentiating gold nanorod samples using particle size and shape distributions from transmission electron
Eric A Grulke1, Xiaochun Wu2, Yinglu Ji2
1Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States of America.
Metrologia
|May 16, 2020
Summary
This study standardized gold nanorod characterization using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Standardized methods revealed statistically significant differences in size and shape distributions between two gold nanorod samples.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Gold nanorods (AuNRs) are crucial in various applications due to their tunable optical properties.
- Accurate characterization of AuNR size and shape distributions is essential for reproducible performance.
- Existing methods lack standardization, hindering interlaboratory comparisons and reliable data acquisition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate standardized methods for measuring gold nanorod size and shape distributions.
- To compare two gold nanorod samples with differing performance attributes using transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
- To establish a protocol for quantitative and comparative analysis of nanorod characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for image acquisition of gold nanorod samples.
- Developed and applied shape descriptors, including ruggedness and elongational (aspect ratio), to analyze particle morphology.
- Employed non-parametric statistical tests to compare size and shape distribution parameters between samples across multiple laboratories.
Main Results:
- Identified touching particles using a ruggedness descriptor and distinguished nanorods from nanocubes using an elongational descriptor.
- Demonstrated statistically significant differences in aspect ratio distributions between the two samples across all participating laboratories.
- Found similar scale parameters but statistically different width parameters for size and shape distributions between the samples.
Conclusions:
- The developed protocol provides a standardized and validated approach for measuring gold nanorod size and shape distributions.
- The findings highlight statistically significant differences in nanorod morphology, explaining performance variations.
- The protocol's automation potential ensures consistent, rapid measurements for research, regulatory, and industrial applications.
