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Micro World

How small is a silica nanoparticle?

A typical silica nanoparticle is about 100 nm across.

What is measured: engineered amorphous silica sphere, typical diameter

Silica Nanoparticle (100 nm) drawn to scale beside a flu virus (100 nm) and an E. coli bacterium (2 µm)
Drawn to scale, from left to right: Silica Nanoparticle (100 nm), Flu virus (100 nm) and E. coli bacterium (2 µm).

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How big is that, really?

  • About the same width as a flu virus
  • As wide as about 4 ribosomes side by side
  • About 50× as wide as a DNA double helix

Learn

Facts about Silica Nanoparticle

Engineered silica nanoparticles are used in everything from sunscreen to catalytic supports.

Source: ACS Nano: Silica nanoparticle synthesis; NIST Nanotechnology reference

Micro World

NameSizeCompared with Silica Nanoparticle
Fibrinogen Molecule45 nm0.45×
Silicon Nanowire50 nm0.5×
West Nile Virus50 nm0.5×
Human Papillomavirus55 nm0.55×
Cyanophage P-SSP760 nm0.6×
Silica Nanoparticle100 nmthis page
Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle100 nmsame size
Lassa Virus100 nmsame size
Hantavirus100 nmsame size
Nuclear Pore Complex120 nm1.2×

Test your sense of scale

Which is bigger: Silica Nanoparticle or Nuclear Pore Complex?

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