All Done With Mirrors: NIST Microscope Tracks Nanoparticles In 3-D

March 11, 2008 | Source: Photonics Online

A new microscope design allows nanotechnology researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to track the motions of nanoparticles in solution as they dart around in three dimensions.

 Four side views of a nanoparticle floating in solution (left) are reflected up. A microscope above the well sees the real particle (center, right) and four reflections that show the particle's vertical position. A simple calculation correlates the horizontal and vertical images to determine each particle's 3-D path.

Four side views of a nanoparticle floating in solution (left) are reflected up. A microscope above the well sees the real particle (center, right) and four reflections that show the particle's vertical position. A simple calculation correlates the horizontal and vertical images to determine each particle's 3-D path.

The technology may lead to a better understanding of the dynamics of nanoparticles in fluids and, ultimately, process control techniques for “directed self-assembly.” This capitalizes on physical properties and chemical affinities of nanoparticles in solutions to induce them to gather and arrange themselves in desired structures at desired locations.

Potential products include extraordinarily sensitive chemical and biological sensor arrays, and new medical and diagnostic materials based on quantum dots and other nanoscale materials.