A great nanoscale resolution

A method which determines the structural properties of individual nanoparticles at resolutions almost 20 times greater than before is reported in Nature Communications this week. As nanoparticles are used for drug delivery this work could potentially have implications for the development of drugs with specific properties.Nanoparticles at fluid interfaces are central to a range of applications including drug delivery, uptake through biological membranes and the fabrication of nano-composites. Understanding the wetting properties of individual nanoparticles has so far remained a challenge. Lucio Isa and colleagues develop an in situ imaging method which can be used to determine the wetting properties of individual nanoparticles as small as 10 nanometres in diameter.This resolution greatly surpasses that of current state of the technologies, and may provide new insights in the understanding of nanoscale wetting.