Multidimensional Nanoparticle Characterization through Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry
Multidimensional techniques that combine fully or partially orthogonal characterization methods in a single setup often create a more comprehensive description of analytes. When applied to nanoparticles, they have the potential to reveal particle properties not accessible to more conventional 1D techniques. Herein, we apply recently developed 2D characterization techniques to nanoparticles using atmospheric-pressure ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS), and demonstrate the analytical capability of this approach using ultraporous mesostructured silica nanoparticles (UMNs). We show that IM-MS yields a 2D particle size-mass distribution function, which in turn can be used to calculate not only important 1D distributions, i.e. particle size distributions, but also nanoparticle structural property distributions not accessible by other methods, including size-dependent particle porosity and the specific pore volume distribution function. IM-MS measurement accuracy was confirmed by measurement of NIST-certified polystyrene latex particle standards. For UMNs, comparison of IM-MS results with TEM and N2 physisorption yield quantitative agreement in particle size and qualitative agreement in average specific pore volume. IM-MS uniquely shows how within a single UMN population, porosity increases with increasing particle size, consistent with the proposed UMN growth mechanism. In total, we demonstrate the potential of IM-MS as a standard approach for the characterization of structurally complex nanoparticle populations, as it yields size specific structural distribution functions.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0018202
- OSTI ID:
- 1598465
- Journal Information:
- Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 92, Issue 3; ISSN 0003-2700
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
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