Scalable Manufacturing of Size-controllable Structured Nanoparticles via Capillary Instabilities in Multimaterial Fibers

这笔赠款为研究一种新颖的、可扩展的纳米颗粒制造方法提供资金，该方法以所需材料的延伸纤维为起点。这一过程依赖于每天从滴水的水龙头中看到的同样的不稳定。表面张力驱动流体不稳定，即所谓的高原-瑞利毛细不稳定，它导致逐渐减弱的水喷流分解成液滴。这里利用相同的基本现象，将嵌入光纤中的选定材料的完整圆柱形纳米线的延伸长度转换为相互隔离的球形纳米颗粒项链。该项目将研究这种工艺可以生产的最小颗粒尺寸，以及与这种工艺兼容的材料。将探索各种材料，从软玻璃到生物兼容聚合物。此外，该项目还将为结构纳米颗粒内部结构的数字化设计奠定基础。这种方法将提供一条大规模生产具有复杂亚结构的纳米颗粒的途径，这项任务在纳米级仍然是一个基本的技术挑战。这种跨学科努力的智力价值来自于通过将热诱导纤维拉伸和流体动力学结合起来解决这一根本挑战，这两个最初看起来是无关的。该项目还为纳米尺度的流体动力学基础研究提供了一种新的物理实现。该项目的更广泛影响在于这些纳米结构的广泛应用。例如，药物从可生物降解的聚合物颗粒控制释放，到具有新光学特性的涂料和涂层。此外，还将实施一项多方面的推广计划，包括为佛罗里达州奥兰治县的学校举办为期一天的暑期活动，题为“自己制作纤维日”，这将把高中生带到纤维生产的奇观中来。

This grant provides funds for the investigation of a novel, scalable approach to fabricating nanoparticles that takes as its starting point extended fibers of a desired material. The process relies on the same instability that is witnessed every day from a dripping faucet. Surface tension drives the fluid instability, the so-called Plateau-Rayleigh capillary instability, which causes a waning jet of water to break up into droplets. The same basic phenomenon is utilized here to transform extended lengths of intact cylindrical nanowires of the material of choice embedded inside a fiber into necklaces of spherical nanoparticles held isolated from each other. The project will investigate the smallest particle size that could be produced by this process and the materials compatible with such a procedure. A variety of materials will be explored, ranging from soft glasses to biocompatible polymers. In addition, this project will lay the foundations for digitally designing the internal architecture of structured nanoparticles. This methodology will provide a pathway to large-scale production of nanoparticles with sophisticated sub-structure, a task that remains a fundamental technological challenge at the nano-scale. The intellectual merit of this interdisciplinary effort stems from addressing this fundamental challenge by combining heat-induced fiber drawing and fluid dynamics, which initially appear unrelated. The project also provides a new physical implementation for fundamental studies of fluid dynamics at the nano-scale. The broader impact of this project lies in the wide range of applications for these nanostructures. Examples include the controlled-release of drugs from biodegradable polymer particles, to paints and coatings with novel optical properties. In addition, a multi-faceted outreach plan will be carried out, including daylong summer events for Orange County (Florida) schools entitled "Make Your Own Fiber Day", which will bring high school students to the wonders of fiber production.