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Getting the Full Story on Nanoparticles: Combining SAXS and DLS for Deeper Insights
In high-stakes fields like medicine and advanced materials, the performance of a product can hinge on the precise characteristics of its nanoparticles. Controlling particle size, shape, and structure during synthesis is not just a goal; it’s a necessity for ensuring quality, efficacy, and batch-to-batch consistency.
While many labs rely on a single characterization technique, this often provides an incomplete picture. This can lead to challenges in process optimization, resulting in wasted materials and inconsistent outcomes.
To truly engineer nanoparticles, developers need a more comprehensive, real-time view of the synthesis process. A growing body of research shows that the most effective way to achieve this is by combining two powerful analytical techniques: Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS).
Two Techniques, One Comprehensive View
Understanding the strengths of each technique reveals why their combination is so powerful.
Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) is the industry standard for measuring the hydrodynamic radius of particles in a suspension. It analyzes the Brownian motion of particles to determine their effective size in a liquid, including any solvent or capping layers. It tells the dynamic story of how the particle behaves in its environment.
Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) provides information on the particle’s core structure. By measuring how X-rays scatter off the particle’s electrons, SAXS determines the radius of gyration, shape, and internal structure. It tells the static story of the particle’s morphology.
Used alone, each technique has blind spots. But when used together, they provide complementary data that unlocks a much deeper understanding of nanoparticle formation.
Simultaneous, Real-Time Monitoring in Practice
A 2015 study in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B demonstrated the power of this combined approach. Researchers developed an innovative setup to perform simultaneous SAXS and DLS measurements during the synthesis of silica nanoparticles.
By integrating an innovative DLS fiber optic probe directly into the SAXS sample chamber, they could monitor the synthesis reaction as it happened.
The results were revealing. SAXS provided precise data on the changing core radius of the nanoparticles, while DLS simultaneously measured the growing hydrodynamic radius. The difference between these two values gave the researchers valuable information on the solvation layer surrounding the particles as they formed. This dual-stream of data provided an unprecedented level of real-time feedback, enabling them to fine-tune synthesis parameters with high precision.
The Challenge of In Situ Measurement
This type of advanced analysis requires specialized equipment. Transporting a sample from a synthesis reactor to a separate, remote analyzer is inefficient and risky. The process can introduce contamination, and the sample’s properties (like aggregation state) can change during transit, leading to inaccurate data.
The solution is to bring the measurement directly to the sample. An in situ DLS system with a remote, contactless probe head allows for measurement within the reactor or flow cell itself, without disturbing the synthesis process.
About the VASCO KIN™️ Particle Size Analyzer
The VASCO KIN™️ is designed for precisely these types of demanding applications. Its time-resolved DLS instrument is ideal for performing accurate kinetic analyses in nanotechnology.
The key is its in situ and contactless remote optical head, which allows you to measure your nanoparticles right where they are being synthesized. This eliminates the need to move or disturb the sample, ensuring the data you collect is a true reflection of the reaction. When integrated into an experimental setup like a SAXS beamline, the VASCO KIN™️ provides the critical dynamic data needed for a complete characterization.
For researchers and manufacturers looking to move beyond simple quality checks and toward true process control, combining analytical techniques is the future. By enabling reliable in situ DLS measurement, the VASCO KIN™️ is an essential tool for getting the full story on your nanoparticles.
Source:
A. Schwamberger et al., “Combining SAXS and DLS for simultaneous measurements and time-resolved monitoring of nanoparticle synthesis,” Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 343 (2015) 116-122.
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