Particle tracking of nanoparticles in soft matter

Abstract

Recent advances in optical microscopy instrumentation and processing techniques have led to imaging that both breaks the diffraction barrier and enables sub-pixel resolution. This enhanced resolution has expanded the capabilities of particle tracking to nanoscale processes in soft matter including biomolecular, colloidal, and polymeric materials. This tutorial provides a basic understanding of particle tracking instrumentation, the fundamentals of tracking analysis, and potential sources of error and bias inherent in analyzing particle tracking. Finally, we provide a brief outlook for the future of particle tracking through the lens of machine learning.