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Formation of Nonspherical Cellulose Acetate Microparticles under Microflow
Kurumi Mori1, Takaichi Watanabe1, Tsutomu Ono1
1Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, 3-1-1, Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|December 19, 2024
Summary
Researchers developed a microfluidic method to create nonspherical cellulose acetate microparticles. Controlling the Péclet number (Pe) and droplet location enables precise shape prediction for applications like drug delivery.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Nonspherical particles offer advantages in surface area and applications like drug delivery, catalysis, and adsorption.
- Conventional methods for preparing nonspherical particles have limitations.
- Microfluidic techniques offer precise control over particle fabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a simple microfluidic method for fabricating nonspherical cellulose acetate (CA) microparticles.
- To investigate the influence of flow rate ratio and continuous phase composition on particle shape.
- To establish a predictive model for particle structure based on microfluidic parameters.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a microfluidic device for cellulose acetate droplet formation in an aqueous phase.
- Varied flow rate ratios and continuous phase compositions to control droplet dynamics.
- Employed in situ time-lapse imaging to observe droplet behavior and particle formation.
- Analyzed the dimensionless Péclet number (Pe) to correlate with particle shape.
Main Results:
- Increasing flow rate ratio and decreasing methyl acetate concentration led to faster droplet shrinkage and higher Pe.
- A high Pe (>100) resulted in nonspherical particle shapes (bowl-like, biconcave) due to viscous layer formation.
- Droplet deformation influenced by z-axis location and viscous layer formation determined final particle shape.
- Established a linear correlation between initial conditions (Pe, z-axis location) and particle structure.
Conclusions:
- The study presents a novel microfluidic approach for fabricating nonspherical CA microparticles.
- Understanding the interplay between Péclet number and droplet dynamics is crucial for shape control.
- The developed correlation provides a guideline for predicting and fabricating desired particle morphologies.
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