Northwestern University

Jinha Hwang

Vinayak P Dravid

D Lynn Johnson

Mao-Hua Teng

Brian R Elliott

Jonathon J Host

Method and apparatus for making nanoparticles of a material having a diameter of 100 nanometers or less wherein the material to be formed into nanoparticles is evaporated to form a vapor plume therein, a non-reactive entrainment gaseous atmosphere suitable for evaporation conditions is introduced to a first chamber, a gaseous jet is directed through the vapor plume in a direction to carry nanoparticles formed by quenching of the vapor plume through a flow restriction orifice between the first chamber and a second chamber downstream of the first chamber, recirculation of the gaseous jet and nanoparticles entrained therein from the second chamber to the first chamber is substantially prevented to thereby provide a second stage of the gaseous jet downstream of the orifice and substantially isolated from said first chamber for flow to the second chamber, and collecting the nanoparticles from the second stage of said gaseous jet in a collection chamber downstream from the orifice. The nanoparticles can be reacted in an aerosol reactor chamber located downstream of the orifice under a variety of reaction conditions without adversely affecting the evaporation conditons present in the first chamber.

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Evanston, IL, United States of America

Jinha Hwang