Massive production of nanoparticles via mist reaction

A novel conceptual nanoparticle fabrication method is proposed in this paper. It can be easily implemented for the preparation of micro or nanoparticles through a reaction between mists with different specific chemical compounds produced by ultrasonic atomization technology. Ultrasonic atomization is an established technology that easily atomizes liquid to produce very small droplets—in the orders of tens to hundreds of micrometers. The results reveal that metal oxide nanoparticles, such as iron oxide can be massively produced via reactions between metal chlorides and sodium carbonate in an experimental set-up based on physical and chemical principles. The density of the nanoparticle distribution is also investigated and determined to be dependent on the amount of mist reacted and the collection time. Moreover, since the vibrational frequency of ultrasound can be adjusted, we can control the size of micro-droplets of reactants, hence producing particles of different dimensions. Given that the double mist reaction method is easily controllable, environmentally friendly and extremely low in cost, it can potentially become a significant method for making micro/nano particles in the newly emerging field of nanofabrication and integration.