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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/D500915/1
Title: Luminescent Nanoparticles for Characterisation of Transport Phenomena in Microreactors
Principal Investigator: Pikramenou, Professor Z
Other Investigators:
Simmons, Professor M
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
UCL
Department: School of Chemistry
Organisation: University of Birmingham
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 October 2005 Ends: 30 September 2007 Value (£): 61,704
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Multiphase Flow Particle Technology
Reactor Engineering
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
EP/D500923/1
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Advances in precision engineering that revolutionised the electronics industry some years ago, are currently applied to manufacturing of equipment used in chemical processes. Novel microengineered structures already exist that carry out many of the standard unit operations, such as mixing and reactions. The reduced volume and the thin fluid layers encountered in microsystems lead to increased heat and mass transfer rates and better control of the processes thus resulting to more efficient and environmentally friendly processes. Laminar flows prevail at these scales making microchemical processes amenable to theoretical investigations and numerical modelling. Progress in that area, however, is not matched by similar developments in experimentation where traditional techniques for investigating flows, mass transfer and reactions in large scale systems cannot be readily applied to small channels. At the same time developments in fluorescence spectroscopy have demonstrated a breakthrough in sensitivity replacing radioactive methods for event probing. While single molecule fluorophores have limited luminescence efficiency, multiple fluorescent labels on nanoparticles can overcome this problem. Gold nanoparticles in particular combined with lanthanide lumophores offer advantages such as visible, narrow-band width luminescence with long life that make then superior to organic compound fluorescence.In this proposal we plan to investigate the development of gold nanoparticles modified with multiple lanthanide labels and their application as luminescent trackers of flow and transport phenomena in microsystems. The research is in the interface between chemistry (nanoparticle development coated with luminescent tags) and chemical engineering (use of nanoparticles in microsystems) and will benefit by interdisciplinary approach and close collaboration of the scientists from the two disciplines.
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Organisation Website: http://www.bham.ac.uk