How can you choose the right characterization method for nanomaterials?

Depending on the material, I would consider Raman spectroscopy to characterize the the electronic structure by way of identifying ints excitation modes, and also I would consider electron microscopy to visualize the shape of its surface.

Question is not so much what's the right technique as what are the right combination of techniques. The answer will depend on what functional properties you want to characterise. Nanomaterials are always analytically challenging; less so for pure, model nanomaterials, but far more so for 'real world' nanomaterials that may be on or in complex material types, e.g. biological tissue, environmental materials like soil, construction/decorative/composite materials, etc. Best advice I could give is use multiple orthogonal analysis techniques, so you can gain confidence in the data if more than one of your techniques is in agreement with one or more others. Almost always risky to rely on a single technique where nanomaterials are concerned.

Due to their distinct characteristics at the nanoscale, nanomaterials must be thoroughly characterized. Physical and chemical behavior are influenced by size, shape, and surface characteristics. Applications in electronics, medicine, and materials science are guided by an understanding of chemical composition, mechanical, thermal, and optical properties. Examining biological interactions for toxicity and biocompatibility is necessary. I have utilized techniques like TEM, SEM, AFM, XRD, Raman during my doctorate days.

In addition to what has already been mentioned in the comments, the techniques applied depend greatly on the state of the material, as the analysis that looks at the application in solids (example: nanoparticles in polymeric packaging) differs greatly from the application in suspensions and emulsions. When we work with the last option, we must consider material stability factors, which generally occurs due to electrostatic repulsion. Therefore, in this context, zeta potential analysis becomes essential.

Surface area of external and internal surfaces by gas physisorption. Particle size distribution by dynamic light scattering (DLS) especially for colloidal suspensions. DLS can also be combined with zeta-potential (related to surface charge and dispersibility in liquids) measurements. Particle size by laser diffraction (can be done on dry powders and as a suspension in a suitable (non-solvent) liquid.

Nanomaterials are in different sizes, shapes with various chemical and elemental compositions based on the desired application field. Those can be analysed as follows: Elemental/chemical composition and interactions by FTIR, Mass spectroscopy, XPS, XRF and EDX. Molecular weight: chromatography and SAXS/SANS Morphology: SEM, TEM, particle size analyser and SAXS/SANS Crystal structure and phase : XRD and SAXS, SANS Internal structure: SAXS Thermal properties: DSC and TGA

As ever, the first step is to understand what you're trying to characterise, and why. Without that clarity, you risk generating a whole load of data which are essentially meaningless, and take time and energy away from building understanding in your technique or project. Are you interested in mechanical properties? Chemical properties? Metallurgical properties? Surface properties? What are the properties that matter to your application, and what sort of data do you need? Only once you understand this can you go on to select characterisation methods which are appropriate.

I believe that certain characterizations are necessary in all applications, right after the preparation of materials such as DRX and EDX. These techniques provide information about whether we have achieved the desired material. Subsequently, we can select other characterizations based on the desired properties we want from our sample.

Better to go as in-situ , will understand better to design appropriate nano-materials for various applications. Temperature, solvent effect.

Combining two or more characterization techniques simultaneously is often interesting one. Had a chance to work with scanning electrochemical microscope that combines both electrochemical measurement and atomic force microscopy, providing an unprecedented level of insight into the intricate interplay between surface morphology and electrochemical behavior.

Start by organizing your results in a way that aligns with the goals of your study and the design of your experiments. Give an overview of the apparatus and equipment utilized and provide statistical analysis and quantitative results. When appropriate, give information on the raw data you collected. It is essential to give a detailed explanation of the data analysis procedures. To graphically represent data, include tables, graphs, and figures. If you employed more than one characterization method, talk about the correlation between the outcomes of each technique, as well as about the corresponding limitations. Highlight the most significant findings and how they affect the larger context of relevant research.

One interesting aspect about nanomaterials is that sometimes you use them as a platform where surface modification is used to create new surface properties and functionalities (such as charges or bioaffinity) that can be in strong contrast to theit original properties. For example, silica nanoparticles hydrophilic surface properties can be tuned into hydrophobic one using certain silane coupling agent. Characterization is crucial to show the extent of the surface modification by detecting and quantifying changes in surface chemistry, hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance, surface charges, particles size, and much more. Choosing the right techniques will depend largely on thorough understanding of both material and techniques interaction.

The potential for profits from nanomaterials is infinite, and I would like to share with you the most remarkable example I have come across. In Iran, our use of spectroscopy is limited, although we do have TEM Unfortunately, we lack the necessary infrastructure to perform IBF on our samples, so our TEM samples are not standardized. However, in our laboratory, we had a brilliant colleague who focused on researching thin PVD coatings. He used a clever approach of creating an additional metallic bond layer between the coating and the substrate, and then dissolving the bond coat with acid. By following this meticulous process, he was able to produce a flawlessly intact thin film without any imperfections like holes or deflections.