This article reviews recent developments in the microfluidic preparation of different types of particles made of polymeric and inorganic materials. We discuss control of the particle sizes, morphologies, shapes, and structures in terms of various features of microfluidic synthesis.

Chirality of plasmonic films can be strongly enhanced by three-dimensional (3D) out-of-plane geometries. The complexity of lithographic methods currently used to produce such structures and other methods utilizing chiral templates impose limitations on spectral windows of chiroptical effects, the size of substrates, and hence, further research on chiral plasmonics. Here we demonstrate 3D chiral plasmonic nanostructures (CPNs) with high optical activity in the visible spectral range based on initially achiral nanopillars from ZnO. We made asymmetric gold nanoshells on the nanopillars by vacuum evaporation at different inclination and rotation angles to achieve controlled symmetry breaking and obtained both left- and right-rotating isomers. The attribution of chiral optical effects to monolithic enantiomers made in this process was confirmed by theoretical calculations based on their geometry established from scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. The chirality of the nanoshells is retained upon the release from the substrate into a stable dispersion. Deviation of the incident angle of light from normal results in increase of polarization rotation and chiral g-factor as high as -0.3. This general approach for preparation of abiological nanoscale chiral materials can be extended to other out-of plane 3D nanostructures. The large area films made on achiral nanopillars are convenient for sensors, optical devices, and catalysis.

Self-assembly of proteins and inorganic nanoparticles into terminal assemblies makes possible a large family of uniformly sized hybrid colloids. These particles can be compared in terms of utility, versatility and multifunctionality to other known types of terminal assemblies. They are simple to make and offer theoretical tools for designing their structure and function. To demonstrate such assemblies, we combine cadmium telluride nanoparticles with cytochrome C protein and observe spontaneous formation of spherical supraparticles with a narrow size distribution. Such self-limiting behaviour originates from the competition between electrostatic repulsion and non-covalent attractive interactions. Experimental variation of supraparticle diameters for several assembly conditions matches predictions obtained in simulations. Similar to micelles, supraparticles can incorporate other biological components as exemplified by incorporation of nitrate reductase. Tight packing of nanoscale components enables effective charge and exciton transport in supraparticles as demonstrated by enzymatic nitrate reduction initiated by light absorption in the nanoparticle.

We report a single-step approach to producing small and stable bubbles functionalized with nanoparticles. The strategy includes the following events occurring in sequence: (i) a microfluidic generation of bubbles from a mixture of CO(2) and a minute amount of gases with low solubility in water, in an aqueous solution of a protein, a polysaccharide, and anionic nanoparticles; (ii) rapid dissolution of CO(2) leading to the shrinkage of bubbles and an increase in acidity of the medium in the vicinity of the bubbles; and (iii) co-deposition of the biopolymers and nanoparticles at the bubble-liquid interface. The proposed approach yielded microbubbles with a narrow size distribution, long-term stability, and multiple functions originating from the attachment of metal oxide, metal, or semiconductor nanoparticles onto the bubble surface. We show the potential applications of these bubbles in ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging.

We report a versatile “inside-out” microfluidic approach to producing monodisperse particle-stabilized emulsions, as well as supracolloidal polymer microspheres. This approach addresses the challenges faced in conventional strategies for the preparation of Pickering emulsions, that is, an insufficient control of droplet dimensions and an excess of particles in the continuous media. The proposed method minimizes waste of particles, due to their introduction in the droplet phase, rather than in the continuous medium; allows control over the coverage of droplets with particles by manipulating the concentration of particles or the flow rates of the liquids; and provides a route for an easier analysis of the dynamics of formation and buckling of Pickering emulsions.

Bubbling up: Dissolution of CO(2) bubbles in a suspension of colloidal particles chemically induces the assembly of particles on the surface of shrunken bubbles, and thus yields rapid continuous formation of a colloidal armor. This approach maintains the high colloidal stability of particles in bulk, has increased productivity, and allows the formation of bubbles with precisely controlled dimensions.

It is generally expected that aggregates of metal nanoparticles are more efficient surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probes than individual nanoparticles, due to the enhancement of the electric field in the interparticle gaps. We show that, for asymmetric nanoparticles, such as gold nanorods (NRs), this is not always the case: the plasmonic behavior of NRs depends on the mutual orientation of the NRs in the ensemble. We report the results of experimental studies and theoretical analysis of the optical properties of clusters of side-by-side assembled gold NRs. Ensembleaveraged SERS spectroscopy showed a reduction in SERS intensity. Comprehensive finite-difference time-domain simulations showed a reduction of electric field intensity as the number of NRs per cluster increased. This is due to destructive interference as the radial component of the surface plasmon modes of the NRs in the cluster interact with each other. The present work expands our understanding of the configuration-specific optical behavior of asymmetric gold nanoparticles. Furthermore, it offers guidance toward the "design rules" for the development of colloidal NR systems for sensing applications.

Bubbling up: Dissolution of CO2 bubbles in a suspension of colloidal particles chemically induces the assembly of particles on the surface of shrunken bubbles, and thus yields rapid continuous formation of a colloidal armor. This approach maintains the high colloidal stability of particles in bulk, has increased productivity, and allows the formation of bubbles with precisely controlled dimensions.