New characterization strategies for streamlining the commercialization of nanomaterials

Characterization and measurement science lies at the core of fundamental and applied research, technology development, and commercialization in every scientific discipline. Unfortunately, the importance of the characterization process and its burden on time and money resources is often overlooked and becomes a bottleneck to technology development and commercialization[1]. The ad hoc approach to characterization that is widely used today in nanomaterial/technology research and commercialization leads to poor decision making that slows progress. This paper presents a new integrative approach for characterization in all stages of nanomaterials/nanotechnology development that incorporates 1) improved and simplified sample preparation that results in reproducible and accurate data, 2) the ability to perform multitechnique high-resolution nanoscale characterization on the same sample for direct correlation of results, and 3) the ability to probe the behavior of materials under a wide range of different environmental/processing conditions to allow for real-time or sequential ex-situ characterization of the behavior of these materials. Combined, this strategy reduces uncertainty and redundancy, provides new insights to materials behavior, embeds a consistent platform for characterization that can be applied from idea inception to commercialized product, and ultimately saves time and money. We provide a practical application of this strategy to understand the behavior of nanosilver embedded on surfaces and the implications of understanding the fate and reactivity of these materials under conditions that mimic their real-world environments. The strategy employed in this work can be applied by manufacturers, technology developers, and regulatory agencies for a broad range of materials and applications to help guide informed policy decisions, ensure safe products, and reduce the time to market.