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Automated quantitative image analysis of nanoparticle assembly

Publication ,  Journal Article
Murthy, CR; Gao, B; Tao, AR; Arya, G
Published in: Nanoscale
June 7, 2015

The ability to characterize higher-order structures formed by nanoparticle (NP) assembly is critical for predicting and engineering the properties of advanced nanocomposite materials. Here we develop a quantitative image analysis software to characterize key structural properties of NP clusters from experimental images of nanocomposites. This analysis can be carried out on images captured at intermittent times during assembly to monitor the time evolution of NP clusters in a highly automated manner. The software outputs averages and distributions in the size, radius of gyration, fractal dimension, backbone length, end-to-end distance, anisotropic ratio, and aspect ratio of NP clusters as a function of time along with bootstrapped error bounds for all calculated properties. The polydispersity in the NP building blocks and biases in the sampling of NP clusters are accounted for through the use of probabilistic weights. This software, named Particle Image Characterization Tool (PICT), has been made publicly available and could be an invaluable resource for researchers studying NP assembly. To demonstrate its practical utility, we used PICT to analyze scanning electron microscopy images taken during the assembly of surface-functionalized metal NPs of differing shapes and sizes within a polymer matrix. PICT is used to characterize and analyze the morphology of NP clusters, providing quantitative information that can be used to elucidate the physical mechanisms governing NP assembly.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Nanoscale

DOI

EISSN

2040-3372

ISSN

2040-3364

Publication Date

June 7, 2015

Volume

7

Issue

21

Start / End Page

9793 / 9805

Related Subject Headings

  • Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
  • 51 Physical sciences
  • 40 Engineering
  • 34 Chemical sciences
  • 10 Technology
  • 03 Chemical Sciences
  • 02 Physical Sciences
 

Citation

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MLA
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Murthy, C. R., Gao, B., Tao, A. R., & Arya, G. (2015). Automated quantitative image analysis of nanoparticle assembly. Nanoscale, 7(21), 9793–9805. https://doi.org/10.1039/c5nr00809c
Murthy, C. R., B. Gao, A. R. Tao, and G. Arya. “Automated quantitative image analysis of nanoparticle assembly.” Nanoscale 7, no. 21 (June 7, 2015): 9793–9805. https://doi.org/10.1039/c5nr00809c.
Murthy CR, Gao B, Tao AR, Arya G. Automated quantitative image analysis of nanoparticle assembly. Nanoscale. 2015 Jun 7;7(21):9793–805.
Murthy, C. R., et al. “Automated quantitative image analysis of nanoparticle assembly.” Nanoscale, vol. 7, no. 21, June 2015, pp. 9793–805. Scopus, doi:10.1039/c5nr00809c.
Murthy CR, Gao B, Tao AR, Arya G. Automated quantitative image analysis of nanoparticle assembly. Nanoscale. 2015 Jun 7;7(21):9793–9805.
Journal cover image

Published In

Nanoscale

DOI

EISSN

2040-3372

ISSN

2040-3364

Publication Date

June 7, 2015

Volume

7

Issue

21

Start / End Page

9793 / 9805

Related Subject Headings

  • Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
  • 51 Physical sciences
  • 40 Engineering
  • 34 Chemical sciences
  • 10 Technology
  • 03 Chemical Sciences
  • 02 Physical Sciences