en
Download

Micro World

How small is a titanium dioxide nanoparticle?

A titanium dioxide nanoparticle is about 100 nm across.

What is measured: engineered nanoparticle used in sunscreens, diameter

Titanium Dioxide 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: Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle (100 nm), Flu virus (100 nm) and E. coli bacterium (2 µm).

Compare

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 Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles scatter UV light and are widely used as a whitening agent and sunscreen ingredient.

Source: EPA nanomaterials fact sheet; Journal of Nanoparticle Research

Micro World

NameSizeCompared with TiO2 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 nmsame size
Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle100 nmthis page
Lassa Virus100 nmsame size
Hantavirus100 nmsame size
Nuclear Pore Complex120 nm1.2×

Test your sense of scale

Which is bigger: Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle or Nuclear Pore Complex?

Topics

More sizes like this