Optical coherence tomography as a reference method for the detection of nanoparticles in thin-film polymer matrices

In food and feed production an emerging issue is the use of nanoparticles as additives to control specific properties of the products. In this context, one focus in food chemistry is the development and evaluation of measurement techniques, which could allow the detection and quantification of nanoparticles in food products. For this purpose, special non-invasive and non-destructive reference methods are required, which allow subsequent analysis with other measurement techniques. Additionally, non-invasive and fast imaging techniques are potentially appropriate for applications in the food production. Optical coherence tomography is sensitive to the backscattering of particles and is regarded as a promising technique due to its spatial resolution, the high sensitivity and the high-speed capability. In this study, the ability of OCT as a potential reference method for the detection of nanoparticles in thin-film polymer samples was investigated by determining the correlation between nanoparticle concentration and signal intensity.