Classification of a Multimodal AuNP Size Mixture using Machine Learning Techniques
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have gained significant attention in recent years due to their unique properties and potential applications in various fields, including biomedical imaging, catalysis, and sensing. However, the characterization of AuNP size mixtures remains a challenging task, particularly when dealing with multimodal distributions.
The Challenge of Characterizing AuNP Size Mixtures
The synthesis of AuNPs often results in a mixture of different sizes, which can be challenging to characterize and classify. The classification of AuNP size mixtures is essential for understanding their properties and optimizing their synthesis conditions. Traditional methods for characterizing AuNP size distributions, such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), have limitations, including high cost, complexity, and limited accuracy.
A Novel Approach using Machine Learning Techniques
In this post, we propose a novel approach for classifying a multimodal AuNP size mixture using machine learning techniques. Our approach consists of three stages: data preprocessing, feature extraction, and classification.
Data Preprocessing
We generated a dataset of AuNP size distributions using a combination of TEM and DLS measurements. The dataset consisted of 100 samples, each with a multimodal size distribution. We preprocessed the data by normalizing the size distributions and removing any outliers or noisy data. Normalization was performed using the Min-Max Scaler algorithm, which scales the data to a common range, typically between 0 and 1. Outliers were removed using the Z-score method, which identifies data points that are more than 3 standard deviations away from the mean.
Feature Extraction
We extracted features from the preprocessed data using k-means clustering and principal component analysis (PCA). K-means clustering was used to identify the number of modes in each size distribution, while PCA was used to reduce the dimensionality of the data and extract the most relevant features.
K-Means Clustering
K-means clustering is a popular unsupervised machine learning algorithm that groups similar data points into clusters. We used the k-means algorithm to identify the number of modes in each size distribution. The algorithm was initialized with a random set of centroids, and the data points were assigned to the cluster with the closest centroid. The centroids were then updated, and the process was repeated until convergence.
Principal Component Analysis (PCA)
PCA is a dimensionality reduction technique that transforms the data into a new coordinate system, such that the first principal component explains the most variance in the data. We used PCA to reduce the dimensionality of the data and extract the most relevant features. The PCA algorithm was implemented using the scikit-learn library in Python.
Classification
We used support vector machines (SVMs) to classify the AuNP size mixtures based on their features. SVMs are a popular machine learning algorithm known for their ability to handle high-dimensional data and non-linear relationships. We trained the SVM model using a subset of the dataset and evaluated its performance using the remaining samples.
Support Vector Machines (SVMs)
SVMs are a type of supervised machine learning algorithm that can be used for classification and regression tasks. We used the SVM algorithm to classify the AuNP size mixtures into different categories based on their features. The SVM model was implemented using the scikit-learn library in Python.
