Differentiating gold nanorod samples using particle size and shape distributions from transmission electron microscope images

Eric A. Grulke, Xiaochun Wu, Yinglu Ji, Egbert Buhr, Kazuhiro Yamamoto, Nam Woong Song, Aleksandr B. Stefaniak, Diane Schwegler-Berry, Woodrow W. Burchett, Joshua Lambert, Arnold J. Stromberg

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

Size and shape distributions of gold nanorod samples are critical to their physico-chemical properties, especially their longitudinal surface plasmon resonance. This interlaboratory comparison study developed methods for measuring and evaluating size and shape distributions for gold nanorod samples using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. The objective was to determine whether two different samples, which had different performance attributes in their application, were different with respect to their size and/or shape descriptor distributions. Touching particles in the captured images were identified using a ruggedness shape descriptor. Nanorods could be distinguished from nanocubes using an elongational shape descriptor. A non-parametric statistical test showed that cumulative distributions of an elongational shape descriptor, that is, the aspect ratio, were statistically different between the two samples for all laboratories. While the scale parameters of size and shape distributions were similar for both samples, the width parameters of size and shape distributions were statistically different. This protocol fulfills an important need for a standardized approach to measure gold nanorod size and shape distributions for applications in which quantitative measurements and comparisons are important. Furthermore, the validated protocol workflow can be automated, thus providing consistent and rapid measurements of nanorod size and shape distributions for researchers, regulatory agencies, and industry.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)254-267
Number of pages14
JournalMetrologia
Volume55
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 28 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 BIPM & IOP Publishing Ltd.

Keywords

  • gold nanorod
  • shape distribution
  • size distribution
  • transmission electron microscopy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Engineering

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