Surfactant‐free Fabrication of Fullerene C₆₀ Nanotubules Under Shear

Abstract

A method for controlling the self-assembly of fullerene C molecules into nanotubules in the fcc phase, devoid of entrapped solvent, has been established in a thin film microfluidic device. The micron length C nanotubules, with individual hollow diameters of 100 to 400 nm, are formed under continuous flow processing during high shear micromixing of water and a toluene solution of the fullerene, in the absence of surfactant, and without the need for further down-stream processing. TEM revealed pores on the surface of the nanotubes, and the isolated material has a much higher response to small molecule sensing than that for analogous material formed using multistep batch processing.

Efficient Production of Phosphorene Nanosheets via Shear Stress Mediated Exfoliation for Low‐Temperature Perovskite Solar Cells

“…The exfoliation of BP in the VFD arises from the interplay between centrifugal and gravitational forces resulting in shearing, facilitated by higher vibrational energy from the pulsed laser weakening the strong van der Waals interactions between the phosphorene layers. This innovative VFD technology has been successfully used to prepare various 2D materials including graphene and boron nitride . The mechanism of shear‐exfoliation methods for 2D materials has been well described elsewhere .…”

Vortex Fluidic Chemical Transformations

“…0.4 to 3 μm in length with hollow diameters 100 to 400 nm were created. 26 This was achieved by subjecting a 1:1 mixture of toluene and water in the absence of surfactants at a 7 krpm rotational speed at a 45° tilt angle. Operating at other rotational speeds and inclination angles resulting in a mixture of nanostructures with no control over morphology.…”

“…[22] B) TEM images of exfoliated graphite and hexagonal boron nitride. [11d] C) Continuous flow processing of SBA-15 mesoporous silica where shear stressed micelles are mixed with triethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and the resulting material filtered and calcinated, as with SEM images B and C. [26–27] D) VFD-mediated encapsulation of staphylocococus aureus and rhodococcus opacus graphene oxide sheets, SEM A - Staphylocococus aureus before processing in the VFD, SEM B - Staphylocococus aureus encapsulated in graphene oxide and SEM C - Rhodococcus opacus encapsulated in graphene oxide. [29] E) Controlling the rotational speed of the sample tube allows access to metastable forms of calcium carbonate such as proto-vaterite (SEM A), and sliced SWCNT (SEM B).…”

Fabrication of Nanofiber Filtration Membranes Using Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET): A Review

“…So related to wanted condition, one of these two modes would be selected. Some other narrative researches that have been performed with the help of VFD are involved bacteria and algal cells with graphene and magnetic polymer [78][79][80], protein folding [81], exfoliating single layered graphene and hexagonal Boron Nitride (h-BN) sheets from the bulk material [82], sol-gel synthesis of silica xero gel at room temperature and the incorporation of curcumin, [83] controlling the pore size and wall thickness of mesoporous silica [84,85], fabricating toroidal arrays of SWCNTs, [86] laterally 'slicing' CNTs, [87] accelerating enzymatic reaction, [88] probing the structure of self-organized systems [89,90], biodiesel catalysis [91] and many others. According to the extra capabilities of VFD as a various reaction media compared with Spinning Disc Processors (SDPs) or Rotating Tube Processors (RTPs), VFD will be more advantageous in reaction accomplishment [92].…”