Filtering diluents so that the suspending liquid has no “extra” particles.
Ensuring that long-range electrostatic interactions are not affecting your results.
Ensuring that particle-particle collisions are not affecting your results.
Covering your samples so no dust falls in from the air.
Confirming that the autocorrelation function is smooth before examining size results.
Confirming repeatability of Z-average size before examining size distributions.
Ensuring your glassware is clean and dust-free.
Ensuring that the sample has reached thermal equilibrium with the sample chamber in the instrument so that the correct viscosity is used for size calculations.
Ensure that your sample size distribution doesn’t have a tail with particles over 10 microns in diameter.
Filtering suspensions of very small particles (diameter < 50 nm).
Top 10 Practices for ELS Zeta Potential
Ensuring glassware is free of surfactants, soaps, and oils.
Confirming repeatability of zeta potential measurements.
Ensuring that you understand what ions are in your suspension.
Ensuring that you know what surfactants and dispersing agents are in your suspension.
Measuring zeta potential as a function of suspension conditions such as pH or ion concentration.
Increasing ion concentrations by decades (e.g., 1, 10, 100, …) rather than linearly (e.g., 1, 2, 3, …) when studying ion concentration effects.
Ensuring that particle surfaces are fully wetted.
Ensuring that the sample has reached thermal equilibrium with the sample chamber in the instrument so that the correct viscosity is used for zeta calculations.
Remaining aware of the effect of atmospheric CO2 and its ions.
