The key difference between nanoparticles and nanoclusters is that nanoparticles are particles having dimensions between 1 to 100 nm, whereas nanoclusters are collections of nanoparticles.
We can divide materials into three groups as bulk materials, nanoparticles, and nanoclusters. A nanoparticle is a particle of matter having dimensions between 1 to 100 nanometers whereas a nanocluster is a collection of a small number of atoms that is about 2 nm.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Nanoparticles
3. What are Nanoclusters
4. Nanoparticles vs Nanoclusters in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Nanoparticles vs Nanoclusters
What are Nanoparticles?
A nanoparticle is a particle of matter having dimensions between 1 to 100 nanometers. These are also known as ultrafine particles because they are very small. Sometimes, we use this term to name particles that are large up to 500 nanometers. We can also use this term to name fibres and tubes having dimensions less than 100 nm in two directions. We can easily distinguish these particles from microparticles, coarse particles, fine particles, etc., according to the size of the particle.
Usually, nanoparticles do not sediment because they tend to undergo Brownian motion. We cannot observe these particles in ordinary microscopes because they are much smaller than the wavelengths of visible light. Therefore, we need electron microscopes with a laser to observe these particles. Due to the same reason, the dispersion of these particles in transparent media still looks transparent, and the particles also easily pass through the common filters. This is why we need specific nanofilters for the separation of these particles from a solution.
Figure 01: An Image of a Nanoparticle of Platinum
Nanoparticles are different from other bulk particles because these particles have a large area to volume ratio. This feature makes nanoparticles different from other particles. Moreover, nanoparticles have an interfacial layer (of a medium through which the nanoparticles are dispersed) that can mask their chemical and physical properties. Further, the solvent affinity of nanoparticles makes it possible to make suspensions of nanoparticles. Apart from that, the small size and large area to volume ratio allow heat, molecules, and ions to move to and from the particles at a high rate.
What are Nanoclusters?
Nanocluster is a collection of a small number of atoms. These are mostly metal nanoclusters. They contain either single or multiple elements. Typically, a nanocluster is about 2 nm. Nanoclusters tend to exhibit excellent mechanical, chemical and physical properties.
Nanoclusters behave like molecules and do not show plasmonic behaviour. They are the link between atoms and nanoparticles. Therefore, a synonym for nanoclusters is molecular nanoparticles. All the nanoclusters are not stable components. This stability depends on the number of atoms in the nanocluster and valence electron count.
When considering the production and stability of nanoclusters, solid-state mediums can be used for the production along with molecular beams, followed by a mass spectrometer for mass selection, separation, and analysis. Stabilization can be done through the electrostatic stabilization method and steric stabilization method.
What is the Difference Between Nanoparticles and Nanoclusters?
We can divide materials into three groups as bulk materials, nanoparticles, and nanoclusters. The key difference between nanoparticles and nanoclusters is that nanoparticles are particles having dimensions between 1 to 100 nm, whereas nanoclusters are collections of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles have a large surface area to volume ratio while nanoclusters are a collection of nanoparticles.
The following infographic presents the difference between nanoparticles and nanoclusters in tabular form.
Summary – Nanoparticles vs Nanoclusters
We can divide materials into three groups as bulk materials, nanoparticles, and nanoclusters. The key difference between nanoparticles and nanoclusters is that nanoparticles are particles having dimensions between 1 to 100 nm, whereas nanoclusters are collections of nanoparticles.
Reference:
1. “Nanoclusters.” An Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Cluster2nm” By Vadim A. Volochaev, ResearcherID: N-3239-2014 (Chemistry Department, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia) – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia