ACCELERATED ADVANCED MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
The Talos F200X Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) integrates high-resolution STEM and TEM imaging with advanced energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), enabling comprehensive subnanoscale analysis across structural and compositional domains. This instrument delivers rapid, quantitative characterization of nanomaterials through 2D and 3D chemical mapping, supporting high-fidelity visualization of elemental distributions, phase interfaces, and crystallographic features.
Engineered for high-throughput analytical workflows, the Talos F200X incorporates precision automation, enhanced detector sensitivity, and intuitive user interfaces to streamline acquisition, processing, and interpretation. Its multimodal imaging capabilities allow simultaneous structural and chemical interrogation, facilitating correlative analysis of morphology, composition, and functional behavior at atomic resolution.
TENGENA’s research team utilizes the Talos F200X for advanced materials analysis, including subnanometric particle characterization, interface diagnostics, and defect mapping across engineered substrates. The system’s robust performance and operational flexibility make it a cornerstone in our platform for validating synthesis outcomes, optimizing feedstock formulations, and accelerating development cycles for quantum, photonic, and catalytic architectures.
Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS)
Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), referred to as Quasi-Elastic Light Scattering (QELS), is a widely adopted technique for characterizing nanoparticle size distributions and aggregation behavior in colloidal and fluid-phase systems. This method enables precise measurement of hydrodynamic diameters down to ~1 nm, offering critical insights into particle dispersion stability, Brownian motion dynamics, and interparticle interactions.
TENGENA performs nanoparticle characterization using the Malvern Zetasizer Nano ZS platform, equipped with a helium-neon (HeNe) laser operating at a wavelength of 632.8 nm. The system features a backscatter detection configuration at 173°, optimized for high-sensitivity measurements in low-concentration and high-transparency samples. This setup allows for accurate determination of particle size distributions, polydispersity indices, and aggregation states under controlled temperature and solvent conditions.
Our DLS protocols are integrated into broader materials validation workflows, supporting feedstock optimization, nanofluid formulation, and inline synthesis quality control. The resulting data informs both process development and device integration strategies across quantum, photonic, and catalytic domains.
UV-Visible Nanoparticle Spectroscopy
Ultraviolet–Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy is a core analytical technique used to quantify the extinction of discrete wavelengths of UV and visible light as they are absorbed or transmitted through a sample. This method provides critical insights into the optical and physicochemical properties of nanomaterials, including particle size, shape anisotropy, concentration, agglomeration state, and refractive index modulation.
TENGENA performs spectral analysis using the Agilent 8453 single-beam diode array spectrometer, configured to acquire full-range spectra from 190 to 1100 nm with a fixed slit width of 1 nm. This setup enables high-resolution detection of absorbance features associated with localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), interband transitions, and scattering phenomena in colloidal nanoparticle suspensions.
Our UV-Vis protocols support real-time monitoring of synthesis kinetics, stability assessments, and formulation optimization for both metallic and hybrid nanostructures. The data generated informs downstream integration into photonic, biosensing, and optoelectronic platforms, ensuring spectral fidelity and reproducibility across batch cycles.
Electrokinetic potential
Zeta potential quantifies the electrokinetic potential at the particle–liquid interface, reflecting the balance of electrostatic repulsion and attraction forces that govern colloidal dispersion behavior. This parameter serves as a critical indicator of nanomaterial stability, providing insight into aggregation tendencies, dispersion resistance, and temporal changes in surface charge dynamics under varying environmental conditions.
TENGENA performs zeta potential measurements using the Malvern Zetasizer Nano ZS system, equipped with a helium-neon (HeNe) laser operating at 632.8 nm and a backscatter detection angle of 173°. This configuration enables high-sensitivity analysis of electrophoretic mobility, supporting accurate determination of surface charge distribution and electrochemical equilibrium across nanoparticle suspensions.
Our zeta potential protocols are integrated into broader materials validation workflows, informing formulation stability, surface functionalization strategies, and compatibility with fluid-phase systems. The resulting data supports predictive modeling of colloidal behavior, essential for scalable deployment in nanofluidics, biosensing, and advanced manufacturing environments.
Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS)
Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) is a core analytical technique for chemical characterization and elemental quantification of nanomaterials. Upon excitation by a focused electron beam, the sample undergoes ionization, resulting in the ejection of an inner-shell (core-level) electron. This vacancy is subsequently filled by an outer-shell electron, releasing the energy differential as an X-ray photon with a wavelength and energy signature unique to the originating element.
The spectral profile generated by this process reveals discrete peaks whose positions correspond to specific atomic species, while the peak intensities provide quantitative insight into elemental concentrations and spatial distribution. This enables high-resolution compositional mapping across heterogeneous substrates, interfaces, and nanostructured domains.
TENGENA utilizes ChemiSEM™ Technology, a fully integrated platform that combines Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and EDS within a unified analytical interface. This configuration allows simultaneous acquisition of morphological and chemical data, streamlining nanoscale diagnostics and accelerating interpretation workflows. The system supports real-time elemental contrast enhancement, enabling rapid identification of compositional heterogeneities, phase boundaries, and impurity distributions critical to advanced materials development.
Inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS)
Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a high-sensitivity technique for elemental analysis across complex sample matrices, particularly suited for quantifying trace metals and select nonmetals with atomic masses ranging from 7 to 250 amu. The process involves sample ionization within a high-temperature plasma, where atoms are converted into positively charged ions. These ions are then separated based on their mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios and quantified by a detector that counts ion events per second, enabling precise determination of elemental concentrations.
TENGENA utilizes the Thermo X-Series II ICP-MS platform, equipped with advanced Collision Cell Technology (CCT) to mitigate polyatomic and isobaric interferences. This configuration enhances spectral clarity and measurement accuracy, particularly in nanoparticle suspensions and complex fluid systems where matrix effects can obscure low-abundance signals.
Our ICP-MS protocols support high-throughput quantification of nanoparticle composition, feedstock purity, and synthesis yield across engineered materials. The data informs formulation optimization, regulatory compliance, and integration into photonic, catalytic, and quantum-scale device architectures.
Cypher VRS ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY (afm)
The Cypher VRS Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) by Oxford Instruments is a high-speed, high-resolution platform ideally suited for the characterization of TENGENA’s engineered nanomaterials. Its video-rate scanning capability enables real-time visualization of dynamic nanoscale phenomena, making it particularly effective for evaluating dispersion behavior, surface reactivity, and morphological evolution in plasma-synthesized systems.
TENGENA leverages the Cypher VRS AFM to perform subnanometric surface profiling across noble, alloyed, and compound metal substrates. The system’s advanced imaging modes—such as AM-FM viscoelastic mapping, conductive AFM, and piezoresponse force microscopy—allow for precise quantification of mechanical, electrical, and piezoelectric properties critical to the performance of photonic, quantum, and catalytic interfaces.
The instrument’s environmental control features, including liquid-phase compatibility and temperature modulation, support in situ analysis of nanocolloids, hybrid nanofluids, and biosensing materials under operational conditions. Additionally, its integration with optical microscopy enables correlative imaging workflows, facilitating cross-validation with spectroscopic data from UV-Vis, Raman, and fluorescence platforms.
By incorporating the Cypher VRS AFM into its characterization pipeline, TENGENA ensures high-fidelity validation of synthesis outcomes, supports iterative optimization of feedstock formulations, and accelerates the deployment of next-generation materials across strategic domains.