Droplet Microfluidics XRD Identifies Effective Nucleating Agents for Calcium Carbonate

• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201808172
• Publication Date: 2019-03-13T13:29:24Z
• Authors: Mark A. Levenstein; Clara Anduix‐Canto; Yi‐Yeoun Kim; Mark A. Holden; Carlos González Niño; David C. Green; Stephanie E. Foster; Alexander N. Kulak; Lata Govada; Naomi E. Chayen; Sarah J. Day; Chiu C. Tang; Britta Weinhausen; Manfred Burghammer; Nikil Kapur; Fiona C. Meldrum
• Keywords: Technology; crystallization; SURFACE; Chemistry, Multidisciplinary; nucleation; Materials Science; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary; Condensed Matter; 02 engineering and technology; 09 Engineering; Physics, Applied; HETEROGENEOUS ICE NUCLEATION; PROTEIN CRYSTALLIZATION; CRYSTAL NUCLEATION; Physical; NANOPARTICLES; serial crystallography; BIOACTIVE GLASS; Nanoscience & Nanotechnology; Materials; powder X-ray diffraction; F990; Multidisciplinary; Science & Technology; droplet microfluidics; 02 Physical Sciences; 660; Chemistry, Physical; synchrotron radiation; Physics; bioactive glass; 540; PLATFORMS; X-RAY-SCATTERING; Chemistry; Physics, Condensed Matter; PRECIPITATION; Applied; Physical Sciences; Science & Technology - Other Topics; 03 Chemical Sciences; 0210 nano-technology; BEHAVIOR

Abstract The ability to control crystallization reactions is required in a vast range of processes including the production functional inorganic materials and pharmaceuticals prevention scale. However, it currently limited by lack understanding mechanisms underlying crystal nucleation growth. To address this challenge, necessary carry out well‐defined environments, ideally perform situ measurements. Here, versatile microfluidic synchrotron‐based technique presented meet these demands. Droplet microfluidic‐coupled X‐ray diffraction (DMC‐XRD) enables collection time‐resolved, serial patterns from stream flowing droplets containing growing crystals. offer reproducible reaction radiation damage effectively eliminated short residence time each droplet beam. DMC‐XRD then used identify effective particulate nucleating agents for calcium carbonate study their influence on pathway. Bioactive glasses model material mineral dust are shown significantly lower induction time, highlighting importance both surface chemistry topography efficiency surface. This technology also extremely versatile, could be dynamic with wide techniques.