Synthesis of worm and chain-like nanoparticles by a microfluidic reactor process

We demonstrate a room temperature microfluidic reactor (MFR) process for the synthesis of worm-like and chain-like shaped metallic nanoparticles (NPs). These high aspect ratio NPs are in geometrically metastable states, which can be further transformed into ellipsoidal, spherical, or short rod-like species with enhanced crystallinity after their solutions are stirred for several hours and/or undergo sonication for more than half an hour, evidenced by their transmission electron microscope (TEM) images, selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Analysis on the relative stronger shape control ability by the microfluidic process than by the batch process suggests that the attachment and merging of pre-formed nanoclusters along the flow orientation in the microchannel slits may be the main reason for the formation of non-spherical shaped NPs. The result indicates that the room temperature microfluidic process has the potential to assemble primary nanoclusters into two-dimension architectures (i.e., chain-like networks).