Precision Polymer Particles by Flash Nanoprecipitation and Microfluidic Droplet Extraction

We comparatively review two versatile approaches employed in the precise formation of polymer particles, with length scales from 10s nm to 100s ?m, ternary polymer(s), solvent and nonsolvent mixtures. Flash nanoprecipitation (FNP) utilizes an opposing jet arrangement mix a dilute solution confinement, inducing rapid (?millisecond) chain collapse eventual precipitation nanoparticles (NPs) 10–1000 diameters. FNP mixtures block copolymers can yield range multiphase morphologies various functionalities. While droplet extraction (DSE) also involves exposure nonsolvent, this case is templated into prior extraction, often using microfluidics, resulting particles 1–1000 ?m diameter. Droplet shrinkage exchange are generally accompanied by series processes including demixing, coarsening, phase inversion, skin formation, kinetic arrest, which lead plethora possible internal external particle morphologies. In absence flow fields, DSE corresponds effectively induced separation (NIPS) spherical geometry. review, we discuss requirements implement both approaches, detailing consequences behavior interplay underpinning highlighting similarities, differences, complementarity DSE. addition reviewing previous work field, report comparative experimental results on polystyrene emphasizing importance process design.