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Emmanuel Agunloye received his BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Lagos in 2009. Became interested in studying the applications of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to chemical engineering processes during his work experience at Richardson Oil and Gas Limited, Nigeria in 2011 and was stimulated to pursue postgraduate programmes. After completing his MSc in Chemical Process Engineering at UCL in 2014, he joined the department in 2015 as a research student.
Research project
Title: Modelling of the synthesis of gold nanoparticles in flow reactors.
Using the classical crystallization theory for nanoparticle synthesis.
Nanotechnology plays a key role in healthcare, energy, climate, transport and security. This is due to some attractive physical properties that nanoparticles (NPs) have which are determined by their physical parameters such as particle size, morphology and purity. Gold nanoparticles, in particular, possess a unique combination of properties that allow them act as multifunctional anti-cancer agents. Such properties strongly depend on particle size and shape. NPs are ordinarily produced in relatively small batch reactors which, due to their size, render the synthesis poorly controllable and the NPs’ properties poorly reproducible.
Controllability and reproducibility are nevertheless essential features. The project aims to investigate the synthesis of gold NPs in continuous-flow microreactors. This will be achieved through experimentation and modelling. From the experimentation, we will identify the most viable synthesis routes for continuous-flow microreactors and for process control and reproducibility. While, population balance modelling and numerical simulations will be used to model the process and understand better the relative importance of the various phenomena at play during the synthesis (such as mixing, reaction, growth and coalescence). This insight will allow us to better control the process and make NPs with more reproducible features.
Education
BSc (Eng) in Chemical Engineering, University of Lagos, Nigeria, 2009
MSc in Chemical Process Engineering, UCL, 2014
