Mass production of shaped particles through vortex ring freezing

Area of Science:

• Fluid Dynamics
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Vortex rings are torus-shaped fluid structures with complex formation dynamics.
• Controlling the intermediate shapes during vortex ring formation is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for creating novel particles with unusual shapes from vortex ring intermediates.
• To demonstrate the mass production and material applicability of these particles.
• To explore their utility in various biotechnological applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing electrospraying to 'freeze' intermediate shapes of vortex rings at controlled time points.
• Employing theoretical analyses and laminar multiphase fluid flow simulations.
• Testing applicability across diverse materials including polysaccharides and nanoparticles.

Main Results:

• Successfully mass-produced vortex ring-derived particles with controlled sizes (microns to millimeters).
• Demonstrated the formation of particles with unprecedented shapes.
• Showcased particle utility in cell encapsulation, 3D cell culture, and cell-free protein production.
• Achieved compartmentalization and ordered structures using these particles.

Conclusions:

• The electrospraying technique offers a simple and inexpensive way to create novel, shape-controlled particles.
• These particles are adaptable to a wide range of materials.
• Vortex ring-derived particles present significant opportunities for engineering sophisticated hierarchical materials and advancing biotechnological applications.