Characterization of Polymeric Particles with Electron Microscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering, and Atomic Force Microscopy BETINA GIEHL ZANETTI-RAMOS 1 , MAURICIA BEDDIN FRITZEN-GARCIA 1 , TA ˆ NIA BEATRIZ CRECZYNSKI-PASA 1 , CRISTIAN SCHWEITZER DE OLIVEIRA 2 , ANDRE ´ AVELINO PASA 2 , VALDIR SOLDI 3 , AND REDOUANE BORSALI 4 1 Grupo de Estudos em Interac ¸ o ˜es entre Micro e Macromole ´culas, Departamento de Cie ˆncias Farmace ˆuticas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Floriano ´polis, SC, Brasil 2 Laborato ´rio de Filmes Finos e Superfı ´cie, Departamento de Fı ´sica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Floriano ´ polis, SC, Brasil 3 Grupo de Estudos em Materiais Polime ´ricos, Departamento de Quı ´mica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Floriano ´ polis, SC, Brasil 4 Centre de Recherche sur les Macromole ´cules Ve ´ge ´tales CERMAV=CNRS, Grenoble, France The purpose of this article is to describe the use of different techniques, such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), electron microscopy (EM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), on the characterization of particulate systems. A brief theoreti- cal introduction for each technique is presented, including advantages and disadvan- tages. Micro- and nanoparticles of polyurethane were used as examples to illustrate the use of these techniques. Using the techniques of electron microscopy we were able to obtain three-dimensional images revealing the size and morphology of micro- and nanoparticles. In relation to the size of the particles, different results were observed when the techniques of DLS and AFM were used and compared. The results were discussed, taking into account the measuring principle inherent to each technique. Keywords atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering, particle character- ization, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy Address correspondence to Betina Giehl Zanetti-Ramos, Grupo de Estudos em Interac ¸ o ˜es entre Micro e Macromole ´culas, Departamento de Cie ˆncias Farmace ˆuticas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Floriano ´polis, SC, Brasil. E-mail: betinagzramos@pq.cnpq.br Particulate Science and Technology, 28: 472–484, 2010 Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0272-6351 print=1548-0046 online DOI: 10.1080/02726351.2010.504133 472