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Droplet microfluidics for the highly controlled synthesis of branched gold nanoparticles

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Abalde-Cela, Sara 
Taladriz-Blanco, Patricia 
Ganzarolli de Oliveira, Marcelo 

Abstract

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.

Description

Keywords

chemical physics, fluidics, nanoparticle synthesis

Journal Title

Scientific Reports

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2045-2322
2045-2322

Volume Title

8

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group
Sponsorship
This work was supported by EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020 COFUND, Grant Agreement 713640 (SAC) and by FAPESP, project No. 2015/01685-2 (PTB). MGO acknowledges FAPESP, project No 2016/02414-5.
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