Reference nanomaterials for nanotoxicology research

What is it about?

There is a growing need to develop and characterize reference metal and metal oxide engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) of high purity and tunable intrinsic properties suitable for nanotoxicology research. Here a high throughput (volume) and precision flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) approach coupled with state-of-the-art char- acterization techniques are utilized to generate such reference ENMs. A nanopanel of nine reference ENMs (silica, silver, silver supported on silica, alumina, ceria and iron oxide) was synthesized and characterized using com- bined electron microscopy, advanced spectroscopic techniques and physical analyses (e.g., BET, XRD, TEM, pycnometry, XPS, ICP-MS and FTIR). ENMs show a high degree of chemical purity and stoichiometry, and low content of carbon residuals, and are sterile and free of bacteria and endotoxins. Further, their colloidal properties and their implication in in-vitro dosimetry have been also investigated in both environmental and test biological media.

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Why is it important?

The suitability of reference ENMs and protocols developed in this study brings forth new arenas to generate reliable and reproducible toxicological data in an effort to reduce conflicting and contradicting inter- laboratory data on relative toxic effects of ENMs.