Munyebvu Neal, Akhmetbayeva Zarina, Dunn Steven, Howes Philip D
School of Engineering, London South Bank University London SE1 0AA UK.
School of Engineering and Informatics, University of Sussex Brighton BN1 9RH UK
Nanoscale Adv. 2024 Dec 3;7(2):495-505. doi: 10.1039/d4na00839a. eCollection 2025 Jan 14.
Copper-based nanoparticles (NPs) are highly valued for their wide-ranging applications, with particular significance in CO reduction. However current synthesis methods encounter challenges in scalability, batch-to-batch variation, and high energy costs. In this work, we describe a novel continuous flow synthesis approach performed at room temperature to help address these issues, producing spherical, colloidally stable copper(ii) oxide (CuO) NPs. This approach leverages stabilizing ligands like oleic acid, oleylamine, and soy-lecithin, a novel choice for CuO NPs. The automated flow platform facilitates facile, real-time parameter screening of Cu-based nanomaterials using optical spectroscopy, achieving rapid optimization of NP properties including size, size dispersity, and colloidal stability through tuning of reaction parameters. This study highlights the potential of continuous flow synthesis for efficient parameter exploration to accelerate understanding, optimization, and eventually enable scale-up of copper-based NPs. This promises significant benefits for various sectors, including energy, healthcare, and environmental conservation, by enabling reliable production with reduced energy and cost requirements.
铜基纳米颗粒（NPs）因其广泛的应用而备受重视，在一氧化碳还原方面具有特殊意义。然而，目前的合成方法在可扩展性、批次间差异和高能源成本方面面临挑战。在这项工作中，我们描述了一种在室温下进行的新型连续流动合成方法，以帮助解决这些问题，生产出球形、胶体稳定的氧化铜（CuO）纳米颗粒。这种方法利用了油酸、油胺和大豆卵磷脂等稳定配体，这是氧化铜纳米颗粒的一种新选择。自动化流动平台有助于使用光谱学对铜基纳米材料进行简便、实时的参数筛选，通过调整反应参数实现对纳米颗粒性质（包括尺寸、尺寸分散性和胶体稳定性）的快速优化。这项研究突出了连续流动合成在高效参数探索方面的潜力，以加速对铜基纳米颗粒的理解、优化，并最终实现其放大生产。这有望为包括能源、医疗保健和环境保护在内的各个领域带来显著益处，通过实现可靠生产并降低能源和成本需求。
