Precision polymer particles by flash nanoprecipitation and microfluidic droplet extraction
File(s)
Author(s)
Sharratt, William N
Lee, Victoria E
Priestley, Rodney D
Cabral, Joao T
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We comparatively review two versatile approaches employed in the precise formation of polymer particles, with length scales from 10s of nm to to 100s μm, from ternary polymer(s), solvent and nonsolvent mixtures. Flash nanoprecipitation (FNP) utilizes an opposing jet arrangement to mix a dilute polymer solution and a nonsolvent in confinement, inducing a rapid (∼millisecond) chain collapse and eventual precipitation of nanoparticles (NPs) of 10–1000 nm diameters. FNP of polymer mixtures and block copolymers can yield a range of multiphase morphologies with various functionalities. While droplet solvent extraction (DSE) also involves the exposure of a polymer solution to a nonsolvent, in this case the polymer solution is templated into a droplet prior to solvent extraction, often using microfluidics, resulting in polymer particles of 1–1000 μm diameter. Droplet shrinkage and solvent exchange are generally accompanied by a series of processes including demixing, coarsening, phase inversion, skin formation, and kinetic arrest, which lead to a plethora of possible internal and external particle morphologies. In the absence of external flow fields, DSE corresponds effectively to nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) in a spherical geometry. In this review, we discuss the requirements to implement both approaches, detailing consequences of ternary solution phase behavior and the interplay of the various processes underpinning particle formation and highlighting the similarities, differences, and complementarity of FNP and DSE. In addition to reviewing previous work in the field, we report comparative experimental results on the formation of polystyrene particles by both approaches, emphasizing the importance of solution phase behavior in process design.
Date Issued
2021-09-07
Date Acceptance
2021-08-26
Citation
ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 2021, 3 (10), pp.4746-4768
ISSN
2637-6105
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
4746
End Page
4768
Journal / Book Title
ACS Applied Polymer Materials
Volume
3
Issue
10
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2021 American Chemical Society
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000707982700001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Physical Sciences
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Polymer Science
Materials Science
polymer particles
nanoparticles
flash nanoprecipitation
nanoprecipitation
solvent extraction
microfluidics
droplets
emulsions
confined impinging jet mixing
MONODISPERSE DOUBLE EMULSIONS
GLASS-TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
INLET VORTEX MIXER
NANOPARTICLE FORMATION
SPONTANEOUS EMULSIFICATION
SIMULTANEOUS ENCAPSULATION
TETRAHYDROFURAN-WATER
CHITOSAN MICROSPHERES
CONTROLLED-RELEASE
PHASE-SEPARATION
Publication Status
Published