TEM for Nanoparticles | Nanoparticle Analysis | Thermo Fisher Scientific

Nanoparticle analysis

Nanometer-sized particles are present in many different materials, from food additives to high-performance metals to catalysts used for process optimization. As part of the process to enhance the properties of everyday materials, the characterization of nanoparticles involves the exploration and manipulation of structures at the nanoscale. Quantification of the composition, size, and shape of nanoparticles in these everyday objects is a crucial first step in furthering our understanding of the relationships between nanoparticles, performance, quality, and safety.

Automated nanoparticle analysis

The Thermo Scientific Automated Particle Workflow (APW) improves the research and product development process for industrial, academic, and government labs by providing an all-in-one software package that streamlines chemical analysis workflows.

APW is the only solution that automates the entire workflow, from acquisition to automated processing. With APW, you can quickly acquire statistically relevant, high-resolution (nanoscale) results over a large area. APW’s seamless integration with Thermo Scientific Talos (S)TEM and Thermo Scientific Spectra (S)TEM instruments and Thermo Scientific Maps EDS Software makes it possible to obtain data with much higher statistics (50 in total vs. >500/hour), while also simplifying the process.

Dynamic software integration that streamlines chemical analysis

Download infographic: Automated Particle Workflow

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Higher productivity

APW can empower you to accelerate your time-to-results. APW’s fully automated solution expedites data collection by allowing you to rapidly screen new products and processes, while allowing you to analyze more samples in a shorter amount of time.

By automating routine nanoscale imaging and chemical analysis tasks overnight, APW increases TEM productivity. This new-found availability frees up the TEM for other R&D, which can result in higher yield in finding smarter materials, and it can provide faster ramp-up for the research of new products.

Decreased cost per measurement

APW can lower your cost per measurement through unattended, repeatable processes. Its automation capabilities allow you to quickly run complex workflows and eliminate the chance of human error inherent in manual processes, resulting in faster processes and more precise results.

Ease of use through automation and unattended use

APW is easy to use, so you do not need to be an expert microscopist to realize its benefits. Regardless of your experience level, you will be able to focus more attention on your materials science instead of the tool. APW’s integration with existing workflows and enhanced automation makes this software package efficient and user-friendly, and it runs unattended.

Wide range of experiments

You can run a wide range of experiments on many different types of materials. The experimental techniques possible with APW, including energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), support research related to metals, catalysis, foods, paints, asbestos, and more. Data collected and analyzed by APW includes nanoparticle morphology, chemical composition, and structural information (size, shape, distribution), allowing more research questions to be answered and, ultimately, enhancing product quality.

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Automated Particle Workflow in Action

The APW package provides all the necessary software and hardware for easy, automated, and unattended analysis of your sample with STEM and EDS, giving you the scientifically meaningful statistics that you need. APW contains a computer upgrade for the Talos TEM or Spectra (S)TEM, acquisition software (Thermo Scientific Maps 3 Software for (S)TEM and EDS, enabled by Thermo Scientific Velox Software), processing software (Thermo Scientific Avizo2D Software) on a dedicated data processing computer, and a bridge between the acquisition and processing software.

Resources

High resolution APW

Documents

Example of individual Pt-Rh nanoparticles analysis done on a Thermo Scientific Talos F200X TEM: size, area, perimeter, shape factor, contacts, etc. Sample courtesy of Prof. B Gorman and Prof. R. Richards, Colorado School of Mines.

Example of APW showing the distribution of precipitates on a microalloyed steel carbon replica sample. Complete area scanned (not fully shown) is 32 μm x 25 μm. EDS maps of the corresponding area shows precipitates including titanium (yellow) and niobium (purple). Acquired on Thermo Scientific Talos F200X G2.