Real-time spectroscopic monitoring of continuous-flow synthesis of zinc oxide nano-structures in femtosecond laser fabricated 3D microfluidic microchannels with integrated on-chip fiber probe array

Materials synthesis in a microfluidic environment enables the flexible and controllable production of various types of nanostructures which are of great potential in the fields of chemistry, environmental science, bioengineering, and medicine. Here, we demonstrate on-chip simultaneous continuous-flow synthesis and in situ spectrum diagnosis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanomaterials using a femtosecond-fabricated three-dimensional (3D) microchannel reactor integrated with an array of optical fiber probes. The microchannel reactor including 3D concentration gradient generators followed by 3D micromixing units provides high-efficiency manipulation of reactants with different concentrations as well as parallel reaction dynamics in an autonomous manner. The integrated optical fiber probe array allows precise and parallel spectroscopic detection in different microchannels with high spatial and temporal resolutions for screening the synthetic conditions. The synthesized ZnO nanostructures can be tailored in size, shape, and morphology by tuning the flow rates and reactant concentrations based on the spectroscopic signals detected with the fiber probe array.

Automated summary

Materials synthesis in a microfluidic environment allows for flexible and controllable production of various nanostructures, with great potential in chemistry, environmental science, bioengineering, and medicine.