Understanding the nanoparticle deposition process is important for predicting the transport and fate of nanoparticles in natural and engineered aquatic environments. Traditional methods for deposition studies are based on ensemble analysis of nanoparticles. Here, a single-nanoparticle imaging method was used to probe the deposition kinetics of nanoparticles by directly counting single nanoparticles with powerful surface plasmon resonance microscopy (SPRM). The ability of SPRM to provide single-nanoparticle imaging and its vertical sensitivity enabled us to differentiate collision and attachment events and, consequently, determine the attachment efficiency without any additional control experiments. As a proof-of-concept application of SPRM in measuring nanoparticle deposition, the relationship of the solution chemistry and surface chemistry with the attachment efficiency of nanoparticles was correlated. These results demonstrated that nanoparticle deposition kinetics at the single-particle level can be obtained with SPRM and that this technology can also be used to investigate other particle–particle or particle–surface interactions in aquatic environments.

中文翻译：

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通过等离子体成像和计数单个纳米粒子探测纳米粒子的沉积动力学。

了解纳米颗粒沉积过程对于预测纳米颗粒在自然和工程水生环境中的运输和命运至关重要。沉积研究的传统方法基于纳米颗粒的整体分析。在这里，使用单纳米颗粒成像方法通过使用强大的表面等离子体共振显微镜（SPRM）直接计数单个纳米颗粒来探测纳米颗粒的沉积动力学。SPRM提供单纳米颗粒成像的能力及其垂直灵敏度使我们能够区分碰撞和附着事件，从而无需任何额外的对照实验即可确定附着效率。作为SPRM在测量纳米颗粒沉积中的概念验证应用，溶液化学和表面化学与纳米粒子的附着效率之间的关系是相关的。这些结果表明，使用SPRM可以在单颗粒级获得纳米颗粒沉积动力学，并且该技术还可以用于研究水生环境中的其他颗粒间或颗粒间相互作用。