title: Challenges in the size analysis of a silica nanoparticle mixture as candidate certified reference material.
abstract: A new certified reference material for quality control of nanoparticle size analysis methods has been developed and produced by the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. The material, ERM-FD102, consists of an aqueous suspension of a mixture of silica nanoparticle populations of distinct particle size and origin. The characterisation relied on an interlaboratory comparison study in which 30 laboratories of demonstrated competence participated with a variety of techniques for particle size analysis. After scrutinising the received datasets, certified and indicative values for different method-defined equivalent diameters that are specific for dynamic light scattering (DLS), centrifugal liquid sedimentation (CLS), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), particle tracking analysis (PTA) and asymmetrical-flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) were assigned. The value assignment was a particular challenge because metrological concepts were not always interpreted uniformly across all participating laboratories. This paper presents the main elements and results of the ERM-FD102 characterisation study and discusses in particular the key issues of measurand definition and the estimation of measurement uncertainty.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission, Retieseweg 111, 2440 Geel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Vikram
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2651-4248
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kestens
authors.affiliation: Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission, Retieseweg 111, 2440 Geel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roebben
authors.affiliation: National Measurement Institute Australia, Nanometrology Section, 36 Bradfield Road, West Lindfield, NSW 2070 Australia.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.affiliation: National Measurement Institute Australia, Nanometrology Section, 36 Bradfield Road, West Lindfield, NSW 2070 Australia.
authors.forename: Åsa
authors.initials: Å
authors.lastname: Jämting
authors.affiliation: National Measurement Institute Australia, Nanometrology Section, 36 Bradfield Road, West Lindfield, NSW 2070 Australia.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.affiliation: Analytical Science Division, National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0LW UK.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minelli
authors.affiliation: Analytical Science Division, National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0LW UK.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Clifford
authors.affiliation: Service Electron Microscopy, Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre (CODA-CERVA), Groeselenberg 99, 1180 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Pieter-Jan
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: De Temmerman
authors.affiliation: Service Electron Microscopy, Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre (CODA-CERVA), Groeselenberg 99, 1180 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mast
authors.affiliation: Division of Nanoscale Measurement and Advanced Materials, National Institute of Metrology, No. 18, Bei San Huan Dong Lu, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Junjie
authors.affiliation: Institut für Verfahrens- und Umwelttechnik, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Babick
authors.affiliation: Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Constance, Germany.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cölfen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission, Retieseweg 111, 2440 Geel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Emons
keywords: Certified reference material; Interlaboratory comparison study; Measurand; Measurement uncertainty; Nanotechnology; Particle size analysis; Quality assurance; Silica nanoparticles