Characterization of Nontoxic Nanomaterials for Biological Applications

Abstract

The current era witnessed a magnificent development in nanotechnology, and the applications of nanostructures grew as if the sky is the limit. In complimentarily with this scenario, upgradations in various characterization techniques for nanomaterials also reached us. One of the main developments is the enhanced use of hyphenated techniques, which synergistically combine two already existing techniques. For example, the hyphenation of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS), GC-IR, LC-NMR, TG-IR, ICP-OES, ICP-MS, etc. Chromatography produces ultra-pure fractions of chemical components in a mixture, while spectroscopy produces selective information for identification using standards or databases. While we rush through the twenty-first century, no other paradigm as nanoscience and technology has gained supreme relevance, especially in the forefront areas such as energy economy, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, smart materials, virtual realities, and last but not the least in importance, research in environmental science. Characterizations using coupled techniques or hyphenated techniques, as given above, have proved to be very useful to detect and quantify their unique properties. This chapter summarizes various methods for the characterization of nanomaterials. Some of them may be exclusive for certain features, and others may provide combined information. Several techniques have been used to characterize the size, size distribution, aspect ratio, crystal structure, elemental composition and various other physical and chemical properties, especially the optical properties of nanoparticles, which are of supreme importance for a future world of displays.