Issue 26, 2020, Issue in Progress

Influence of channel height on mixing efficiency and synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles using droplet-based microfluidics

Abstract

Microfluidic devices, allowing superior control over the spatial and temporal distribution of chemical substances and high process reproducibility, are nowadays essential in various research areas and industrial fields where the traditional “macroscopic” approach was no longer able to keep up with the increasing demands of high-end applications. In the present work, internal mixing of droplets formed by a flow-focusing X-junction at constant flow rates of both phases for three different channel heights (i.e. 20, 40 and 60 μm) was investigated and characterised. Both experimental methods and 3D CFD simulations were employed in order to resolve governing factors having an impact on internal mixing and homogenization time of model tracers inside of droplet reactors. Additionally, the influence of channel height on internal mixing was experimentally studied for continuous preparation of iron oxide nanoparticles by co-precipitation reaction. Since the initial nucleation phase is strongly affected by mixing and spatial distribution of all reactants, the final particle size and particle size distribution (PSD) can be used as direct indicators of mixing performance. It has been demonstrated that the smallest 20 μm channels provided narrower PSD and smaller particle mean size compared to higher channels.

Graphical abstract: Influence of channel height on mixing efficiency and synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles using droplet-based microfluidics

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
17 Mar 2020
Accepted
07 Apr 2020
First published
17 Apr 2020
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2020,10, 15179-15189

Influence of channel height on mixing efficiency and synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles using droplet-based microfluidics

O. Kašpar, A. H. Koyuncu, A. Hubatová-Vacková, M. Balouch and V. Tokárová, RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 15179 DOI: 10.1039/D0RA02470H

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements