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Updated: May 23, 2026
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Asymmetrical Flow Field-Flow Fractionation for Sizing of Gold Nanoparticles in Suspension
Published on: September 11, 2020
Size-controlled flow synthesis of gold nanoparticles using a segmented flow microfluidic platform.
Victor Sebastian Cabeza1, Simon Kuhn, Amol A Kulkarni
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|April 6, 2012
Summary
Segmented flow synthesis of nanomaterials is governed by fluid slip velocity and internal mixing, not just reduced dispersion. These factors critically control nanoparticle size and distribution.
Area of Science:
- Nanomaterial Synthesis
- Fluid Dynamics
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Segmented flow is widely used for nanomaterial synthesis to achieve narrow particle size distributions.
- This narrowness is often attributed to reduced axial dispersion in segmented flows.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the primary mechanisms governing particle size distribution in segmented flow synthesis.
- To determine the relative importance of slip velocity, internal mixing, and axial dispersion on nanoparticle growth.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of flow fields within segmented flows.
- Characterization of resulting nanoparticle size distribution.
- Modeling of nanoparticle growth dynamics based on fluid interactions.
Main Results:
- Slip velocity between fluid phases and internal mixing within slugs are the key factors controlling particle size distribution.
- Reduced axial dispersion has a minimal impact on particle growth and size distribution.
- Nanoparticle growth is dictated by the interaction of nuclei with local flow, influenced by phase properties and flow rates.
Conclusions:
- Nanoparticle size and distribution in segmented flow synthesis are primarily controlled by inter-phase slip velocity and intra-slug mixing.
- Careful selection of continuous and dispersed phases, along with inlet flow rates, is essential for precise control over nanoparticle characteristics.
