INOR 753 |
| Determining the sizes of nanomaterials is of great significance in assessing the materials' relevance to specific applications. Alternative characterization tools, such as analytical ultracentrifugation (AU), have emerged. AU is a solution-phase analysis tool that yields sizes and size distributions. Analyzing nanomaterials in their native solvents is highly desirable and drying/aggregation effects present in traditional microscopy techniques are avoided. We report the effects of multiple experimental parameters (rotor speed, solvent, temperature, wavelength, and concentration) on the sizes and size distributions obtained. Also, AU was used to resolve four n-CdSe samples in toluene that differ at most by 0.1 nm in average diameter with overlapping distributions, in direct agreement with TEM and with a high level of reproducibility. The conclusions of these results prove that AU is an ideal tool for characterizing any solution-phase nanomaterial. However, optimal experimental conditions must be run to obtain results that are truly indicative of sample composition. |
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Nanoscience: Characterization
7:00 PM-10:00 PM, Tuesday, 12 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster
Division of Inorganic Chemistry |