Nanoparticles Size Distribution Assessment During Early Synthesis Stages

Abstract

Nanotechnology, an innovative field of material science, designs and produces nanostructures materials with unique properties that make them suited for various bioengineering applications. The shape and the dimension are the main variables depending on the method of synthesis or chemical precursors. Silver nanoparticles obtained through chemical synthesis exhibit as strong antibacterial effect if their size lays in a well-defined range. However, a small size of such particles, in the range of nanometers to several tens of nanometers, requires specific techniques as Dynamic Light Scattering or Transmission Electron Microscopy, both being affected by certain assumptions or by the high cost and long time required for a measurement. A nonconventional method based on Direct Particle Tracking can be used to produce the particle size distribution in the early nanoparticle synthesis stages. The work presents a realistic computer simulation of nanoparticle diffusion performed with the CHODIN code and a size distribution assessment using a code for Direct Particle Tracking written for this purpose. The results are consistent with the particle size used for simulation and states as a proof of concept for using the Direct Particle Tracking method for particle size distribution in the early stages of nanoparticle synthesis.

Keywords

• nanoparticles
• size distribution
• diffusion simulation
• direct particle tracking