Chemical Engineering Journal Advances最新文献

{"title":"A highly charged and porous biochar embedded with hydrated ferric oxide nanoparticles for enhanced removal of Cd(II) and Cu(II) from water","authors":"Yan Li,&nbsp;Shunli Wan,&nbsp;Zhenbao Liang,&nbsp;Wenjing Zhou,&nbsp;Ran Chen,&nbsp;Qidi Liu,&nbsp;Yixin Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100805","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100805","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Owing to the limited pore structure and surface charged groups, it is still challenging for biochar (BC) as the host of metallic oxide nanoparticles to achieve the highly efficient treatment of heavy metals in water. To overcome this barrier, a highly porous and charged biochar (LABC) was developed as supporter to load hydrated ferric oxide (HFO), and a new nanocomposite HFO-LABC was acquired for heavy metal decontamination. The increased and enlarged pores from KHCO₃ for LABC activation apparently cut down adsorption equilibrium time of HFO-LABC to Cd(II) and Cu(II) (within 10 min) by reducing pore diffusion resistance of targeted metals. The predicted pore diffusion coefficient D is 2.3 ☓10^–8 and 3.6 ☓10^–8 cm²/s for Cd(II) and Cu(II) in HFO-LABC, respectively, about 10 times higher than that in HFO-BC (2.1 ☓10^–9 and 3.7 ☓10^–9 cm²/s). The introduced charged groups onto LABC notably enhanced Cd(II) and Cu(II) adsorption on HFO-LABC through promoting the dispersion of the loaded nanoparticles (size &lt; 10 nm) and the potential Donnan membrane effect. Consequently, Fe-normalized adsorption capacities of Cd(II) and Cu(II) on HFO-LABC of 976.23 and 1170.77 mg/g-Fe are much greater than those on HFO-BC (299.50 and 510.92 mg/g-Fe). Moreover, HFO-LABC can achieve advanced treatment for synthetic and real Cd(II) and Cu(II)-polluted wastewater in cyclic batch system, with treatment capacities of 1500, 3500 and 8000, 4500 mL/g-HFO-LABC. In addition, the spent HFO-LABC can achieve complete regeneration using HCl-CaCl₂ binary solution with desorption rate &gt;95 %.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9749,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal Advances","volume":"23 ","pages":"Article 100805"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144579359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unveiling superior catalytic performance of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) in the isomerization of glucose to fructose","authors":"Chanakarn Limtongnoi ,&nbsp;Sujitra Amnuaypanich ,&nbsp;Suriyaporn Naknonhan ,&nbsp;Bunrat Tharat ,&nbsp;Suwit Suthirakun ,&nbsp;Tammarat Kleebmek ,&nbsp;Chatree Saiyasombat ,&nbsp;Sirinart Chio-Srichan ,&nbsp;Nopbhasinthu Patdhanagul ,&nbsp;Sittipong Amnuaypanich","doi":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100801","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100801","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chemical catalysts have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional enzymes for the glucose isomerization process, offering improved yield, a wider operating temperature range, longer catalyst lifetimes, and better resistance to impurities. In this study, ZIF-8, a common metal-organic framework, was utilized as a solid Lewis acid catalyst for the isomerization of glucose to fructose in aqueous conditions. Remarkably, ZIF-8 exhibited excellent catalytic performance, achieving approximately 40 % fructose yield and over 50 % glucose conversion at 100 °C, nearly reaching thermodynamic equilibrium at 42 % w/w fructose. Furthermore, the kinetic analysis of the reversible isomerization reaction at 100 °C revealed that ZIF-8 produced the forward rate constant (<em>k</em>_1f) comparable to the reverse rate constant (<em>k</em>_1r), resulting in a <em>k</em>_1f/<em>k</em>_1r ratio that is close to the thermodynamic equilibrium for the isomerization of glucose to fructose. The underlying mechanism involves open metal sites on ZIFs, which, along with associated hydroxyl groups, facilitate the formation of a five-membered cyclic transition state and promote intramolecular hydride transfer. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations indicate that ZIF-8 has a lower energy barrier at the transition state compared to its isostructural counterpart, ZIF-67. Furthermore, the reusability assessment of the ZIF-8 catalyst confirmed its sustained activity and stability under aqueous conditions, highlighting its potential for practical applications in glucose isomerization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9749,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal Advances","volume":"23 ","pages":"Article 100801"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144579357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fabrication of magnetic silica supported Lewis acidic Al-nanocatalyst for the efficient chemical fixation of CO2 into cyclic carbonates at ambient conditions","authors":"Kamrul Hasan ,&nbsp;Ihsan A. Shehadi ,&nbsp;Mohamed El-Naggar ,&nbsp;Monther A․ Khanfar ,&nbsp;Shashikant P. Patole ,&nbsp;Raed A. Al-Qawasmeh","doi":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100800","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100800","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increasing urgency of carbon capture and utilization demands the development of cost-effective, sustainable catalytic systems for CO₂ fixation. In this work, we report the rational design and fabrication of a magnetically separable Lewis acidic nanocatalyst, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@Propyl@L^di-Cl-APG@AlCl, engineered to catalyze the cycloaddition of CO₂ with epoxides under mild, solvent-free conditions. The catalyst integrates an amino bis(phenolate) ligand functionalized with a COOH pendant arm onto a silica-coated magnetic Fe₃O₄ core, followed by coordination with AlCl₃ to introduce highly active Lewis acid sites. Comprehensive structural and surface characterizations including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), computational assessment, and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), confirm successful stepwise functionalization, thermal stability, and the uniform dispersion of the aluminum complex. Computational analysis further supports the distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry around the Al center, elucidating the catalyst’s reactivity. Catalytic performance studies reveal near-quantitative conversion (up to 99 %) of diverse epoxides to cyclic carbonates at ambient temperature and 1.0 bar CO₂, achieving a high turnover number (TON) of 1100 with 0.09 mol % Al loading. The catalyst exhibits remarkable recyclability over five cycles with negligible loss in activity or metal leaching. This work not only advances a structurally well-defined and operationally simple catalytic platform but also addresses key challenges in CO₂ utilization through a green, scalable approach.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9749,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal Advances","volume":"23 ","pages":"Article 100800"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144570387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of mesoporous silica particle loading on the properties of PDMS-based mixed matrix membrane","authors":"Tomoya Yoshihara ,&nbsp;Keishi Suga ,&nbsp;Hikaru Namigata ,&nbsp;Kanako Watanabe ,&nbsp;Tom A.J. Welling ,&nbsp;Kumiko Hayashi ,&nbsp;Lester C. Geonzon ,&nbsp;Koichi Mayumi ,&nbsp;Daisuke Nagao","doi":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100803","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100803","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs), which combine the advantages of filler particles and polymer, are promising materials for gas separation. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has been widely studied as a matrix polymer for MMMs, because of its flexibility and unique gas permeation properties, such as CO₂/N₂ selectivity. As for the other component, mesoporous particulate materials have attracted attention as the fillers that enhance gas permeation. However, the effects of mesoporous particles loading in PDMS membranes have not been studied sufficiently so far. In this study, the gas permeability and CO₂ selectivity of the PDMS incorporating mesoporous silica particles (PDMS/MPs) were evaluated. Self-standing membranes (PDMS or PDMS/MPs) were fabricated, wherein the ordered mesopore structures were maintained in the membranes. The mechanical properties were improved by loading MPs. PDMS/MPs membranes attained enhanced CO₂ permeability of 3650 Barrer, corresponding to a permeance of 8.0 GPU, while mostly maintaining selectivity: CO₂/N₂ = 10.2, CO₂/H₂ = 4.6. Our investigations highlight the advantages of mesoporous silica particles, which can enhance the mechanical property and gas permeability of MMMs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9749,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal Advances","volume":"23 ","pages":"Article 100803"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144571259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhanced electrochemical performance and boron removal capacity of Mg-Al layered double hydroxide composite for membrane-free capacitive deionization applications","authors":"Billel Salhi ,&nbsp;Juliana Alabdrabalreda ,&nbsp;Jamilu Usman ,&nbsp;Ismail Abdulazeez ,&nbsp;Niaz Ali Khan ,&nbsp;Mohammed Benaafi ,&nbsp;Nadeem Baig ,&nbsp;Isam H. Aljundi","doi":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100798","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100798","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Water purification is significantly inhibited by the ineffective removal of boron from aqueous solutions, particularly because traditional membrane-based purification exhibits poor removal of neutral boric acid. This study investigates the efficiency of a Mg-Al layered double hydroxide electrode supported on carbon paper for boron removal by capacitive deionization (CDI). Cyclic voltammetry was used to confirm the capacitive properties of the electrode, which displayed quasi-rectangular profiles with notable reversibility and rate capability. Chronoamperometric observations revealed a voltage-dependent electrosorption activity; 1.2 V showed optimal charge storage and boron removal performance. At this voltage, the system achieved a mean deionization capacity of 2.58 mg/g, over 94 % boron removal within 20 min, and a peak charge efficiency of 79 %, accompanied by a moderate energy consumption of 0.82 kWh/m3. The system exhibited a notable pH dependence and the optimal performance at pH 11 correlated with the dominance of the negatively charged borate ion (B(OH)⁻). Increasing the pH increased the capacity and rate in the Ragone plot (mean deionization capacity vs. mean deionization rate). Although system efficiency dropped slightly to 88 % after 120 min of operation, the electrode showed remarkable cyclic stability across several charge-discharge cycles. Dynamic variations in real-time pH monitoring during CDI were observed, with an initial increase during charging, followed by a slow decline during discharging. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of Mg-Al layered double hydroxide-based CDI systems as flexible and chemically strong platforms for boron removal in water treatment applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9749,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal Advances","volume":"23 ","pages":"Article 100798"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144563034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fabrication of manganese-tin electrodes for sodium-ion battery and supercapacitor applications via laser ablation, laser texturing, and inkjet printing","authors":"Anesu Nyabadza ,&nbsp;Sean Ryan ,&nbsp;Suman Chatterjee ,&nbsp;Danielle Douglas Henry ,&nbsp;Suganya Pitchai Muthusamy ,&nbsp;Jesus Inocente Medina Santos ,&nbsp;Tina Sadat Hashemi ,&nbsp;Valeria Nicolosi ,&nbsp;Dermot Brabazon ,&nbsp;Mercedes Vazquez","doi":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100799","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100799","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Manganese exhibits pseudocapacitive and stabilising effects while tin has strong battery behaviour but suffers stability issues, making these materials strong candidates for sodium-ion battery (SIB) technologies. Inkjet printing of Mn and Sn nanoparticle (NP) inks enhances performance due to its precision and high surface area, enabling the fabrication of high-precision micro-batteries. However, two key challenges exist: (1) poor ink properties, such as oversized particles, incorrect viscosity, and (2) poor ink adhesion due to the hydrophobic and low-roughness surface of copper foils current collectors. Herein, these challenges are addressed by controlling ink properties via pulsed laser ablation in liquid with real-time monitoring using dynamic light scattering for particle size distribution and viscosity measurement. Surface adhesion is improved through laser texturing (50–70 µm track spacing at 10–20 kHz) using an Nd:YAG laser, which increased roughness by 367 % (up to 2.1 µm), enabling successful inkjet printing. Mn and Sn printing was conducted on copper foils at 50 °C. The Mn ink had a mean spherical NP size of 64 nm, a viscosity of 2.9 mPa·s, and a specific surface area of 67 m²/cm³. Cyclic voltammetry confirmed pseudocapacitive behaviour for Mn, and battery behaviour for Mn-Na-Sn electrodes in half-cell sodium-ion experiments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9749,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal Advances","volume":"23 ","pages":"Article 100799"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144517494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness of combined UV-C and bacteriophage approach over repeated cleaning cycles to alleviate membrane fouling of anaerobic bioreactors","authors":"Yevhen Myshkevych ,&nbsp;Giantommaso Scarascia ,&nbsp;Julie Sanchez Medina ,&nbsp;Shaman Narayanasamy ,&nbsp;Venkata Satagopam ,&nbsp;Pei-Ying Hong","doi":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100796","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100796","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A combined ultraviolet C (UV-C) and bacteriophage treatment has been previously identified as an effective and environmentally sustainable approach to mitigating biofouling in anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) treating municipal wastewater. This study investigated the efficacy of this treatment across multiple cleaning cycles to assess its long-term applicability. The results demonstrated that the combined treatment effectively delayed transmembrane pressure (TMP) regrowth and maintained stable reactor performance over three cleaning cycles. Polysaccharide removal remained consistent throughout, while the efficiency of protein and bacterial cell removal declined progressively with repeated cycles.</div><div>Transcriptional analysis revealed an adaptive response among key biofilm-forming bacteria, including <em>Geobacter</em> spp, characterized by increased expression of genes associated with biofilm formation, particularly flagellar proteins. These findings suggest that repeated treatment may induce bacterial resistance, diminishing long-term efficacy. Despite this limitation, the UV-C and bacteriophage treatment presents a promising alternative to chemical cleaning, with the potential to minimize environmental impact and membrane degradation leading to a potential broader adoption of biologically-based cleaning approaches in membrane-based systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9749,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal Advances","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article 100796"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145262273","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Direct catalytic cracking of crude oil-to-chemicals: Impact of steam catalytic cracking on petrochemicals yield","authors":"Aaron C. Akah ,&nbsp;Emad Al-Shafei ,&nbsp;Qi Xu ,&nbsp;Mansour AlHerz ,&nbsp;Ziyauddin S. Qureshi ,&nbsp;M.Abdul Bari Siddiqui ,&nbsp;Abdullah Aitani","doi":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100794","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100794","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The direct catalytic cracking of crude oil to valuable petrochemicals has drawn significant attention due to its potential to streamline refinery processes as a way of reducing the carbon footprint of petrochemicals production. Petrochemicals like light olefins and BTX are essential feedstocks for the petrochemical industry. This study extends the scope of FCC technology by exploring the direct catalytic cracking of Arabian Extra Light (AXL) crude oil, using spray dried FCC-ZSM-5 modified with La and Ce oxides, in non-steam and steam conditions. The performance of the catalysts was evaluated based on the yield and selectivity of light olefins and BTX. The yield of light olefins for thermal cracking, catalytic cracking and steam catalytic cracking at 675 °C was 36.0 wt%, 43.3 wt% and 51.5 wt%, respectively. The study demonstrated that steam catalytic cracking using FCC-ZSM-5 (impregnated with 1 %La and 1 %Ce oxides) offered significant advantage over non-steam catalytic cracking. The presence of steam enhanced the conversion and shifts product distribution towards light olefins. Steam also modified the cracking mechanism by minimizing secondary reactions, reducing coke formation, and enhancing selectivity toward olefins. The findings in this study contribute to the development of efficient catalyst and process for the direct conversion of crude oil into high-value petrochemicals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9749,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal Advances","volume":"23 ","pages":"Article 100794"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144365420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Direct recycling of NMC-cathode scrap: Relithiation in aqueous solution following by low-temperature annealing","authors":"Flora Chelouah ,&nbsp;Christine Surcin ,&nbsp;Nadir Recham ,&nbsp;Claude Guéry","doi":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100795","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100795","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the rise of electric mobility, the growing demand for batteries is expected to generate a significant stock of end-of-life batteries, making recycling an interesting solution to reduce environmental impact. Here, we propose a direct regeneration process in two steps based on a hydrothermal relithiation and post-annealing at moderate temperature. Two NMC-materials went through chemical delithiation and subsequent relithiation: NMC from scrap, which is recovered with the conductive carbon from its original formulation and reference NMC for comparison. The results demonstrate that relithiation was effective during the first solution step, leading to a partially active material. The post-annealing treatment enhances electrochemical performances and the best ones are obtained for the samples annealed at 400 °C. Therefore, the results confirm that the presence of residual carbon does not impact relithiation or compromise its efficiency. The latter conserves its conductive properties after the relithiation process. However, an amount of the carbon has been lost during the second step; then this loss was compensated with an addition of fresh carbon, providing satisfactory electrochemical performances.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9749,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal Advances","volume":"23 ","pages":"Article 100795"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144330839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tuning the size of poly(butylene oxide) nanoparticles by microfluidic-assisted nanoprecipitation","authors":"Lachlan Alexander ,&nbsp;Marat Mamurov ,&nbsp;Hiba Khelifa ,&nbsp;Nicolas Illy ,&nbsp;Philippe Guégan ,&nbsp;Christophe M. Thomas ,&nbsp;Samuel Hidalgo-Caballero ,&nbsp;Joshua D. McGraw ,&nbsp;Kawthar Bouchemal","doi":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100792","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100792","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microfluidic-assisted nanoprecipitation provides precise control over formulation conditions, enabling for the design of nanoparticles with highly tunable properties. This study explores the influence of channel geometry, flow dynamics, and polymer concentration on the size and polydispersity of poly(butylene oxide) (PBO) nanoparticles. PBO is a hydrophobic polymer with a low glass transition temperature (<em>T_g</em> = –71 °C) that typically forms large nanoparticles (&gt;176 nm) via bulk nanoprecipitation, as well as aggregates ranging from 3000 to 5000 nm. Using a hydrodynamic flow-focusing Ψ-geometry, we demonstrate that higher total flow rates increase convective mixing, reduce mixing times, and produce smaller, more monodisperse PBO nanoparticles. A comparative analysis of Ψ- and T-channel geometries across various dimensions revealed that Ψ-geometries consistently outperformed T-geometries due to their superior mixing efficiency. Decreasing the channel dimensions to 20 µm further improved mixing by shortening diffusion lengths and accelerating solvent–antisolvent interdiffusion. Using the Ψ-geometry, nanoparticles as small as 66 nm were achieved, whereas T-geometries produced significantly larger particles (&gt;500 nm). A linear trend between particle size and total flow was observed, best described by a power-law relationship, linking flow rate—and by extension, Reynolds number—to mixing speed and nanoparticle size. These findings highlight the pivotal role of microfluidic design and flow control in tailoring nanoprecipitation for low-<em>T_g</em>, hydrophobic polymers such as PBO. This approach shows promising potential for the encapsulation and delivery of hydrophobic drugs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9749,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal Advances","volume":"23 ","pages":"Article 100792"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144322253","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}