Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Avda Mestre José Veiga, 4715-310, Braga, Portugal.
Sci Rep. 2018 Feb 5;8(1):2440. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-20754-x.
The synthesis of anisotropic metallic nanoparticles (NPs) has been a field of intense and challenging research in the past decade. In this communication, we report on the reproducible and highly controllable synthesis of monodisperse branched gold nanoparticles in a droplet-based microfluidics platform. The process has been automated by adapting two different bulk synthetic strategies to microdroplets, acting as microreactors, for NP synthesis: a surfactant-free synthesis and a surfactant-assisted synthesis. Microdroplets were generated in two different microfluidic devices designed to accommodate the requirements of both bulk syntheses. The epitaxial growth of AuNSTs inside the microdroplets allowed for a fine control of reagent mixing and local concentrations during particle formation. This is the first time branched gold NPs have been synthesised in a microfluidics platform. The monodispersity of the product was comparable to the synthesis in bulk, proving the potential of this technology for the continuous synthesis of high quality anisotropic NPs with improved reproducibility.
过去十年，各向异性金属纳米粒子（NPs）的合成一直是一个备受关注且极具挑战性的研究领域。在本通讯中，我们报告了在基于液滴的微流控平台上可重现且高度可控的单分散支化金纳米粒子的合成。通过将两种不同的体相合成策略分别适用于充当微反应器的液滴，实现了该过程的自动化，用于 NP 合成：无表面活性剂合成和表面活性剂辅助合成。使用两种不同的微流控器件生成微滴，以适应两种体相合成的要求。AuNSTs 在微滴内的外延生长允许在颗粒形成过程中精细控制试剂混合和局部浓度。这是首次在微流控平台上合成支化金 NPs。产物的单分散性与体相合成相当，证明了该技术用于连续合成具有提高的重现性的高质量各向异性 NPs 的潜力。
