Segmented flow synthesis of Ag nanoparticles in spiral microreactor: Role of continuous and dispersed phase

This work focuses on understanding the effect of segmented flow on the nanoparticle size distribution in a unidirectionally expanding spiral microreactor, where secondary flows are prevalent in the absence of segmentation. Stearic acid sophorolipid reduced/capped Ag NPs were synthesized in the aqueous phase and air or kerosene was used as inert phases for creating the gas–liquid and liquid–liquid segmented flow, respectively. While, in one case the reactant phase is in the form of dispersed phase slugs, in the other case it is in the form of continuous phase, each exhibiting a different behavior. The slug sizes and the slip velocity, both of which govern the nature of internal mixing in the reactant phase slug controlled the nanoparticle size distribution. This observation was consistent for both, gas–liquid and liquid–liquid segmented flows. The micromixer having smaller orifice diameter yielded smaller slugs and also a narrow particle size distribution. In general, the particle sizes were much smaller for gas–liquid flow rather than for liquid–liquid flow. Because of the unidirectionally expanding spiral geometry of the channel, at any given condition, unsteady behavior of slugs due to continuously varying radius of curvature results in variation in the slip velocity along the length of microchannel. This effect was seen to further narrow the particle size distribution than alone by the segmented flow.

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► The effect of segmentation on nanoparticle size distribution in spiral microreactor is studied.
► Inert phase was changed to achieve reaction in dispersed and in continuous phases.
► In general, particles are smaller for gas–liquid flow than for liquid–liquid flow.
► Spiral geometry leads to unstable segmentation leading to enhanced mixing.