Chapter 13
Nanoscale-Specific Analytics: How to
Push the Analytic Excellence in Express
Analysis of CBRN
B. A. Snopok and O. B. Snopok
Abstract Nanomaterials (NM) are rapidly finding a wider application in modern
technological products due to their unique properties associated with their small
dimension. Accurate detection of nano-scale materials by fast and precise analytical
techniques is essential in order to control their safety and security. However,
analyzing nanoscale analytes remains extremely challenging due to their limitless
diversity, complex and dynamic nature. For this reason, traditional analytical
techniques, hyphenated systems or “univariate” arrays thereon are being pushed
to their limits; new innovative approaches to face state of the art problems are
required. Comprehensive analysis is crucial for the detection of the limitless list
of NMs: functionality and reliability of new approaches depend on the ability to
simultaneously control the key descriptors of NMs (at the very least, their geometric
features, composition and interfacial functionality). An overview of the features of
the relationship between analytical chemistry and nanoworld is presented here. We
discuss some traditional methods and the emergence of powerful new technologies
in nanophotonics. One of the most powerful analytical techniques for the express
identification of NMs is plasmonic scattering interferometry. It is based on an NM-
induced interferometric “amplification” of the disturbance caused by a nano-object
and its transformation into a micron-range image (NM’s “fingerprint”), which is
easy to visualize using standard technical means of ordinary microscopy. The NM’s
“fingerprint” is its virtual marker similar to regular QR- or bar-codes. In the end,
a brief discussion of multivariate approaches in the development of new analytical
methodologies for identifying and quantifying nanomaterials, along with a short
outlook on the key takeaways summarizing the most important points in nanoscale
analytics is also included.
Keywords Nanoscale analytics · Nanomaterials · Engineered nanoparticles
B. A. Snopok () · O. B. Snopok
V.E. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,
Kyiv, Ukraine
e-mail: snopok@isp.kiev.ua
© Springer Nature B.V. 2020
J. Bonˇ ca, S. Kruchinin (eds.), Advanced Nanomaterials for Detection of CBRN,
NATO Science for Peace and Security Series A: Chemistry and Biology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-2030-2_13
199