NIST: nanoparticle sizing errors distort conclusions — and a mathematical correction using reference materials
On 6 August 2026 a team at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) described in ACS Nano a pervasive data-analysis error in nanoscience: studies correlating nanoparticle properties with size assume that size measurements are error-free. The authors propose a correction that accounts for sizing errors.
- Overlooked sizing errors “dim” the apparent relationship between a property and size — for example, how brightly a nanoparticle glows as a function of its diameter; the team found the issue in several key publications and in other studies measuring various nanomaterials.
- The solution is a method-of-moments correction for least-squares estimates of correlative model parameters; the authors tested its limits of accuracy on the prevalent power-law model relating optical intensity to particle size.
- To apply the correction, researchers must estimate their sizing errors — best by measuring a reference material with their own instruments and methods and comparing the results with the reference values; if no reference material exists, a carefully evaluated sizing uncertainty can be used.
- The article “Measurement Error Models Enable Accurate Correlation of Nanoscale Properties and Structures” is by A. L. Pintar, A. C. Madison, C. R. Copeland, N. Farkas and S. M. Stavis; according to NIST the findings matter for electronics, ceramics, coatings and drug-delivery nanoparticles, among others.
Source: NIST — NIST Researchers Correct Common Error Confounding Nanotech Measurements (06.08.2026)