%0 Journal Article
%T Quantitative characterization of agglomerates and aggregates of pyrogenic and precipitated amorphous silica nanomaterials by transmission electron microscopy
%A Pieter-Jan RH De Temmerman
%A Elke AF Van Doren
%A Eveline Verleysen
%A Yves Van der Stede
%A Michel Abi Daoud Francisco
%A Jan Mast
%J Journal of Nanobiotechnology
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1477-3155-10-24
%X Bright field (BF) TEM combined with systematic random imaging and semi-automatic image analysis allows measuring the properties of SAS NM quantitatively. Automation allows measuring multiple and arithmetically complex parameters simultaneously on high numbers of detected particles. This reduces operator-induced bias and assures a statistically relevant number of measurements, avoiding the tedious repetitive task of manual measurements. Access to multiple parameters further allows selecting the optimal parameter in function of a specific purpose.Using principle component analysis (PCA), twenty-three measured parameters were classified into three classes containing measures for size, shape and surface topology of the NM.The presented method allows a detailed quantitative characterization of NM, like dispersions of precipitated and pyrogenic SAS based on the number-based distributions of their mean diameter, sphericity and shape factor.
%U http://www.jnanobiotechnology.com/content/10/1/24/abstract