Determination of nanoparticle size and surface charge in suspension by an electroacoustic method

• Main Author: Wroczynskyj, Yaroslav
• Other Authors: van Lierop, Johan (Physics and Astronomy)
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Nanoparticle surface properties; Nanoparticle surface characterization
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1993/30167

An apparatus intended to measure the pressure oscillations generated by nanoparticle suspensions in response to an AC electric field was designed and made operational. Electroacoustic measurements were performed on nanoparticle systems covering a range of particle sizes and zeta-potentials, determined using typical particle characterization techniques. The results of the electroacoustic experiments were mapped to the hydrodynamic size and zeta-potentials of the various nanoparticle systems. It was determined that while the electroacoustic technique can be used successfully to measure the motion of nanoparticles in response to an AC electric field, additional improvements to the electroacoustic apparatus are required to allow for a more rigorous mapping of electroacoustic measurements to particle hydrodynamic size and zeta-potential.