International Online Workshop on Continuous Particle Synthesis and Product Design
From 4-6 October 2021, the Erlangen-based Collaborative Research Centre 1411 organised an international online workshop on continuous particle synthesis and product design. Continuous particle synthesis is of key importance for the understanding and scalable fabrication of complex particulate products. The generation of products with tailored properties, ideally multifunctional, is of utmost importance, requiring control of all five dimensions of size, shape, surface, structure and composition. To achieve this, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary, combining new reactors and reaction concepts for continuous manufacturing of new materials and products with modelling, simulation and optimization. Materials of interest range from noble metals and semiconductors, porous materials like metal organic frameworks to polymers and pharmaceutical materials. These can be agglomerated into so-called supraparticles that form superstructures with tailored and completely new – for instance optical – properties. Characterization, ideally inline, and process control are additional pillars, which are mandatory to achieve new materials with new properties with high throughout and on demand.
Experts with the diverse perspectives described above reviewed the status quo of the continuous synthesis of particulate products using state-of-the-art and newly developed methodologies.

A special focus was laid upon the identification of key challenges and intersections of the different techniques. The latter is of particular importance, as the fabrication of complex particle systems of continuously increasing complexity require diverse and interdisciplinary approaches and multidisciplinary teams. The scientific exchange between different experts in the field of particle synthesis and product design aims to identify future prospects of continuous particle formation. Overall, the workshop promoted intense discussions and exchange between the participants.
Programme, Speakers and Abstracts
Monday 04 October 2021
All times Central European Summer Time (EDT + 6, BST + 1, AEST – 8).
12:00 |
Welcome address
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Session 1: New materials & products: Continuous processes for product design I |
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12:20 |
Process design for continuous supercritical hydrothermal synthesis process and the materials design
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12:40 |
Preparation of CeO2 nanoparticles by continuous hydrothermal synthesis: experimental and modelling results
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13:00 |
Continuous flow synthesis of silver nanowires: Mechanism, reaction & reactor engineering
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13:20 |
Continuous flow synthesis of anisotropic particles with tailored morphology and optical properties
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13:40 | Discussion with the speakers | |||
14:10 | Break (40 Minutes) | |||
Session 2: New materials & products: Continuous processes for product design II |
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14:50 |
How to translate batch into continuous processes: Solutions for high temperature quantum dot synthesis
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15:10 |
Continuous synthesis of porous materials
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15:30 |
Formulation and design of particles within continuously and at high pressure operated microsystems for pharmaceutical applications
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16:10 | Discussion with the speakers |
Tuesday 05 October 2021
All times Central European Summertime (EDT + 6, BST + 1, AEST – 8).
Session 3: Reactors and reaction concepts |
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10:00 |
Continuous provision of pure enantiomers from racemic feed mixtures exploiting preferential crystallization
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10:20 |
Flow microreactor synthesis of metallic nanoshells and MOF@MOF core-shell particles
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10:40 |
Microreaction technologies for continuous preparation of particles
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11:00 |
Microfluidically supported syntheses of polymer and metal-polymer-composite particles
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11:20 | Discussion with the speakers |
Wednesday 06 October 2021
All times Central European Summertime (EDT + 6, BST + 1, AEST – 8).
Session 4: Modelling, simulation, optimization & scale up I |
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11:00 |
Particle nucleation and growth coupled to fluid flow: a novel exact method of moments approach
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11:30 |
Development of a modelling framework for the coprecipitation of NMC hydroxides as precursors for Li-ion cathodes
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12:00 | Discussion with the speakers |
12:30 | Break |
Session 5: Modelling, simulation, optimization & scale up II |
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13:10 |
Robust protection against uncertainty in particle design: Insights from mathematical optimization
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13:30 |
Design of flow chemistry experiments using batch bayesian optimization
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13:50 |
Towards the optimization of optical properties of particulate products
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14:10 |
Continuous flow routes toward designer metal nanocrystals
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14:30 |
Synthesis and assembly of nanoparticles in flow
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14:50 | Discussion with the speakers |
15:20 | Closing remarks by Wolfgang Peukert (FAU, Germany) |