Some selected examples of the analytical characterization and determination of NMs in the food field according to the technique involved
| Type of information provided | More common analytical techniques (*) | Selected applications (references) |
|---|---|---|
| Size distribution, shape, aggregation state, surface | SEM, TEM, AFM, STEM, DLS, ICP-MS, HPLC, CE, FFF, SEC | [11–14] |
| Hydrodynamic diameter, surface charge, zeta potential | DLS | [11, 12, 14] |
| Structural characterization | RS, LIF, UV-vis, IR, FTIR, XRF, XPS, NMR, MS | [15–22] |
| Quantification | ICP-MS, sp-ICP-MS, SEC, HDC, FFF | [8, 23–28] |
(*) SEM: scanning electron microscopy; TEM: transmission electron microscopy; AFM: atomic force microscopy; STEM: scanning TEM; DLS: dynamic light scattering; ICP-MS: inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry; HPLC: high performance liquid chromatography; CE: capillary electrophoresis; FFF: field flow fractionation; SEC: size exclusion chromatography; RS: Raman spectroscopy; LIF: laser-induced fluorescence; UV-vis: ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy; IR: infrared spectroscopy; FTIR: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; XRD: X-ray diffraction; XRF: X-ray fluorescence; XPS: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; NMR: nuclear magnetic resonance; MS: mass spectrometry; sp-ICP-MS: single particle ICP-MS; HDC: hydrodynamic chromatography