Knowledge about the size, shape and optical properties of nanoparticles is of high importance for many processes due to the fact that product properties are directly influenced by these parameters. However, combined analysis of size and shape or the determination of size and shape dependent extinction spectra is a major challenge for nanoparticulate systems.
We use analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) in combination with a multiwavelength (MWL) detector to study the sedimentation and diffusion properties of nanoparticles in solution which can be linked to their disperse properties. As a direct and first-principles based technique MWL-AUC is a highly versatile and powerful tool for the multidimensional analysis of size and shape distributions as well as optical properties.
