Nanoparticles
Nanoparticles, a unique subset of the broad field of nanotechnology,
include any type of particle with at least one dimension of less than
500 nanometers. Nanoparticles play an important role in a wide variety
of fields including advanced materials, pharmaceuticals, and environmental
detection and monitoring.
Figure 1: 15nm PMMA & LPPP polymer spheres in a crystallized
emulator of SDS. (Data courtesy of University of Potsdam, Germany.)
The atomic force microscope (AFM) is ideally suited for characterizing
nanoparticles. It offers the capability of 3D visualization and both
qualitative and quantitative information on many physical properties
including size, morphology, surface texture and roughness. Statistical
information, including size, surface area, and volume distributions, can
be determined as well. A wide range of particle sizes can be characterized
in the same scan, from 1 nanometer to 8 micrometers. In addition, the AFM
can characterize nanoparticles in multiple mediums including ambient air,
controlled environments, and even liquid dispersions.
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