Observing Nanoparticle Surface Molecular Layers with a 'Microscope'

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] A microscope that precisely observes nanoparticles, which are one hundred thousandth the size of a hair strand, using hyperspectral photothermal force has been developed by a domestic research team.

The Nano Spectral Imaging Team at the Convergence Measurement Research Center of the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) announced on the 30th that they observed the surface of nanoparticles as chemical images using their independently developed hyperspectral photothermal force microscope. This is the world's first observation of individual nanoparticles.

For this observation, the research team developed a hyperspectral photothermal force microscope that reconstructs images from spectral information. Instead of a microscope lens, this device analyzes samples with a fine probe to obtain chemical images. When a laser is shone on the fine probe, the concentrated light interacts with the sample to generate a tiny force (photothermal force). By measuring images of this force, the characteristics of individual nanoparticles can be diagnosed.

Using this method, the team analyzed the spectroscopic properties of nanoparticles with polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules bound to gold nanoparticles and polymer particles bound to iron oxide particles.

Senior Researcher Eunseong Lee of KRISS stated, "Since surface chemical information of nanoparticles can be measured at the individual particle level, the performance of nanoparticles can be inspected before application to the human body," adding, "This will help analyze the instability of nanoparticles that may occur inside the body, such as increased reactive oxygen species within cells."

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