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3548653

Evaluation of the influence of the particle size and coating on the stability of AuNPs in suspension using single particle ICP-MS

Date
April 8, 2021

The outstanding physical and chemical properties exhibited by engineered nanoparticles (NPs) are related to many factors, including their chemical composition and surface structural characteristics. The fate, transport, stability and potential risks of NPs are directly related to their physicochemical properties, including composition, particle size and shape. Among them, surface chemistry and agglomeration/aggregation state are critically determined by particle size and the nature of the coating surrounding the NPs, which plays a pivotal role in the interactions of NPs with their environment.

The expected low levels of engineered NPs in environmental systems precludes reliable detection by conventional analytical strategies. Thus, novel approaches for reliable in situ NPs characterization are needed. In this context, single particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) is considered an emerging and promising analytical technique for the ultrasensitive detection and characterization of metal-containing NPs. Particularly, spICP-MS offers exceptional potential for providing information about particle size, agglomeration/aggregation state and particle number concentration (PNC) at mass concentration levels down to ng L-1. Additionally, simultaneous detection of dissolved, pristine NPs, and their agglomerated/aggregated species can be carried out in a single analysis by using spICP-MS.

This communication presents, for the first time, a rigorous assessment of the influence of particle size and surface coating on the stability of different commercially available gold NP (AuNP) suspensions at very low concentrations (ng L-1). Thus, the long-term stability of AuNP suspensions of different sizes and surface coatings over 120 days in high purity water at pH 7.4 is evaluated through spICP-MS sizing, and PNC and dissolved fraction quantification results. Preliminary spICP-MS analysis did not reveal a significant influence of the coating on the long-term stability of the particle size and PNC of AuNPs under study. In general, while a variability of 10 % in mean particle diameter was found, a larger variability was observed for PNC.

Presenter

Speaker Image for Antonio Montoro Bustos
Guest Researcher, NIST

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