I-Corps: Automated Nanoparticle Synthesis

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是为学术，小规模和政府实验室设计的金属纳米颗粒合成器的开发。目前，学术和小规模实验室购买或人工合成纳米粒子以供使用。 然而，用户报告了购买的纳米颗粒的高费用和质量变化，并且发现手动合成纳米颗粒是费力的，并且需要广泛的培训来产生具有一致性能的可行纳米颗粒。 所提出的技术使该过程自动化，并消除了手动干预的需要。此外，该过程可以使研究人员通过提供批次间的再现性和对所产生的纳米颗粒的物理尺寸的控制来产生更准确和一致的结果。 这可能会对先进的生物传感器，纳米医学和靶向药物输送系统的发展产生影响，并改善医疗保健结果。这个I-Corps项目是基于自动金属纳米颗粒合成器的开发。 该技术旨在提高纳米颗粒生产的效率，为实验室提供所需的颗粒，并减少与外包纳米颗粒合成相关的时间和费用。 此外，所提出的方法可以增强对合成过程的控制，包括纳米颗粒的尺寸、形态和组成，从而能够针对特定的研究要求进行定制。 所提出的合成器已被证明产生100毫升的20纳米直径的金纳米粒子。此外，它还配备了自动加热床，具有反馈控制和精确的蠕动泵，可精确调节合成温度和优化试剂输送，从而确保上级质量并最大限度地减少批次间的差异。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a metallic nanoparticle synthesizer designed for academic, small-scale, and government laboratories. Currently, academic and small-scale laboratories either purchase or manually synthesize nanoparticles for utilization. However, users report high expense and variations in quality from purchased nanoparticles, and manually synthesizing nanoparticles was found to be laborious and necessitated extensive training to yield viable nanoparticles with consistent performance. The proposed technology automates the process and eliminates the need for manual intervention. In addition, the process may enable researchers to generate more accurate and consistent results by providing batch-to-batch reproducibility and control over the physical dimensions of the nanoparticles produced. This may have an impact on the development of advanced biosensors, nanomedicine, and targeted drug delivery systems and improve healthcare outcomes.This I-Corps project is based on the development of an automated metallic nanoparticle synthesizer. The proposed technology is designed to enhance efficiency of nanoparticle production, supplying laboratories with particles on demand and reducing the time and expense associated with outsourcing nanoparticle synthesis. In addition, the proposed process may enhance control over the synthesis process, including the dimensions, morphology, and composition of the nanoparticles, enabling customization for specific research requirements. The proposed synthesizer has been shown to generate 100 mL of 20 nm diameter gold nanoparticles. Additionally, it is equipped with an automated heat bed featuring feedback control and precise peristaltic pumps for accurate regulation of synthesis temperature and optimal reagent delivery, which may ensure superior quality and minimize batch-to-batch variability. The proposed technology may transform nanoparticle production in laboratories, facilitating nanotechnology-based research and innovation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.