Performance evaluation of an improved particle size magnifier (PSM) for single nanoparticle detection

Several modifications of the particle size magnifier (PSM) developed by Okuyama et al. have been introduced recently for detection of particles at diameters of 1 nm and below. However, their evaluation has been incomplete. Here we provide the first direct measurements of counting efficiencies near unity below 2 nm. We use the modified PSM described by Sgro and Fernandez de la Mora, which separates thermally the PSM's original vapor generator from the water-cooled growth chamber by means of a narrow and short T where turbulent mixing with the aerosol takes place. The counting efficiency is seen to depend greatly on the aerosol flow, the amount of vapor, and temperature. With ethylene glycol vapor, under optimal conditions, the counting efficiency is 100% down to 1.6 nm ( actual diameter of 1.2 nm), and negative particles are more easily activated than positive particles. The improved PSM is applied to the measurement of gold nanoparticle size distributions, and the results show it is a powerful aerosol detector for nanoparticles.