2024 AIChE Annual Meeting
(279g) Modeling of Silver Nanoparticle Synthesis and Trapping at the Interface of an Aqueous Two-Phase Systems
This study focuses on modelling the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) within microchannels using an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). ATPS offers a biocompatible alternative to traditional organic-aqueous systems. The behaviour of the system is described using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Population Balance Modeling (PBM) techniques. The flow patterns and reactant distributions are analysed using CFD, while the PBM accounts for particle nucleation, growth, and other interactions that determine the AgNP size distribution. The modified Finke-Watzky kinetic model is adpted to predict the AgNP formation accurately, including nucleation and growth kinetics. The study predicts the size and distribution of AgNPs in ATPS from the model and provides the conditions for nanoparticle trapping at the liquid-liquid interface in ATPS. This study provides crucial insights into the control and manipulation of nanoparticle properties during synthesis. The proposed model helps optimise AgNP synthesis efficiency for two-phase systems within microchannels.