Our latest News

microParticles GmbH Sets New Benchmarks for Certified Monodisperse Silica Size Standards

The growing industrial integration of silica particles across sectors like food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, medical diagnostics, and semiconductors has led to increasingly stringent quality requirements. Accurate particle size determination and the use of Certified Reference Materials (CRM) are now critical for calibration, routine checking, and quality control.

The Challenge: Beyond Polystyrene

While monodisperse polystyrene-based particles have been the market standard for over 20 years, they face limitations in demanding environments. Silica particles offer significant advantages where polystyrene fails:

• Thermal Resistance: Stability at higher temperatures.
• Chemical Compatibility: Tolerance to various solvents.
• Environmental Durability: Stability under intense UV light.
• Optical Precision: Superior refractive index properties for advanced optics.

Previously, the market lacked high-quality silica standards, often providing only limited sizes or broad distributions with high measurement uncertainties. microParticles GmbH has solved this problem.

Our Solution: Certified Silica Size Standards (100 nm – 3 µm)

We are proud to introduce a comprehensive range of high-quality silica standards. These products bridge the gap for industries requiring silica-specific calibration.

Current Size Availability:

100 nm | 150 nm | 200 nm | 300 nm | 500 nm | 750 nm | 1 µm | 1.5 µm | 2 µm | 3 µm

Further developments are currently underway to expand our range into the sub-100 nm range for the semiconductor industry.

Key Technical Features

• Full Traceability: Traceable to the International System of Units (SI), NIST (USA), and the Joint Research Centre (formerly IRMM/Belgium).
• Superior Monodispersity: Ultra-narrow particle size distribution with a CV < 3%.
• High Precision: Perfectly spherical morphology with narrow, symmetrical peaks.
• Advanced Characterization: Verified using state-of-the-art metrology, including SEM, Centrifugal Liquid Sedimentation (CLS), and the Electrical Sensing Zone Method.
• Effective Density: precisely determined

• Safety: Biocompatible and non-toxic.

• Packaging: Supplied as 2% aqueous suspensions in convenient 10 ml and 15 ml dropper bottles.

Fluorescent and Functionalized Silicon Dioxide Particles

Our fluorescently labelled and functionalized silicon dioxide particles (SiO2-Fluo<funct>) are prepared by incorporation of blue, green, orange, and red fluorescent dyes and come with either carboxyl or amino functions covalently coupled to the particle surfaces.
Our established, optimized sol-gel process allows for the manufacture of particles with favorable properties, such as:

• high monodispersity (CV < 5 %),
• spherical shape,
• brilliant and bright fluorescence,
• minimized dye leaching into the surrounding media (aqueous as well as organic), and
• high load of functional groups.

The applied dyes are homogeneously distributed throughout the particle volume.
The products are available as 2,5 % w/v aqueous suspensions. Upon request, dry powders are possible as well (separate prices and lead times).

Monodisperse spherical silica particles now up to 100 μm in diameter

Recently, scientists at microParticles GmbH developed a new strategy for the synthesis of monodisperse silica particles up to 25 μm in diameter. By further optimizing the process, it has now been possible to extend the particle diameter range up to 100 μm and beyond.

The decisive breakthrough was achieved through a combination of modified sol-gel chemistry, fluid mechanics, and particle stabilization. These particles are offered as 2,5 % w/v aqueous dispersions or in powder form.

The new products possess the following features:

• Particle diameters above 25 µm up to 100 μm.
• Narrow particle size distribution (CV < 5 %).
• Spherical particles with a smooth surface.
• Particle density 1,85 g/cm3.
• Upon request, functionalizations with carboxyl or amino groups are possible.

LucyPlex Multiplex Assay

Multiplex assays enable the non-invasive, synchronous detection of a large number of analytes in a sample. Assays of this type are primarily used in the examination of physiological fluids (liquid biopsy).

microParticles GmbH now offers particle-based multiplex assays for flow cytometry. The new LucyPlex Multiplex Assay from microParticles GmbH is characterized by small signal widths in all optical channels of flow cytometry (forward scatter, side scatter and fluorescence channels). Therefore, we can guarantee the detection of more than 15 analytes in one fluorescence channel with only one fluorescent dye with the same particle size. In addition, by combining suitable fluorescent dyes, up to 50 analytes can be displayed with the same particle size. Within the framework of this platform, microParticles GmbH offers particles with various surface modifications (carboxyl-, amino-, streptavidin-). Our LucyPlex Multiplex Assays can be used on all standard flow cytometers.

In addition, we offer our customers a LucyPlex Calibration Assay for device calibration of all optical channels.

microParticles GmbH achieved breakthrough in the development of monodisperse flourescence-labelled silica particles

In order to respond to our customers’ increasing need for fluorescence labelled monodisperse silica particles, we have dedicated ourselves over the last months to intensive research and development on this field. In parallel were we able to achieve not only monodisperse nanoscale silica particles but also up to the range of 30 µm in diameter, equally fluorescently labelled.

One particular challenge was the development above 3µm in diameter since the availability in the market is restricted to fluorescently labelled silica particles with a broader diameter distribution, poor photostability and quick photo-bleaching, and in a limited spectral range.

Researchers from microParticles GmbH were now successful in solving this special challenge.

With this breakthrough a new generation of fluorescently labelled, monodisperse silica particles with high quality and variety is available to our customers.

The adjacent illustrations show a selection of monodisperse silica particles with blue, green, orange and red fluorescence.

The outstanding features of our new product line are:

• Monodisperse particle size distribution (CV < 5 %)
• Spherical shape
• Non-porous
• Strong fluorescence
• density 1,85 g/cm³
• Available in a wide spectral range (from blue through near-infrared (NIR))
• Fluorochromes are incorporated in the particle interior
• Applicable in aqueous media as well as in common organic solvents
• No dye leaching
• Mechanically robust

Application fields for the new products: biomedical research and development, bioimaging, sensor technology, clinical diagnostics, photodynamic and/or photothermal therapeutic platforms (PDT/PTT), and others. Fluorescently labelled monodisperse silica particles will be available in all sizes as 2,5 % aqueous suspensions.

News Archive