Recent advances in stimulus-assisted nanoprecipitation for nanoparticle synthesis

Abstract: Nanoprecipitation, the rapid solvent-displacement route to nanoscale phase separation, has matured from a simple batch operation into a versatile platform for nanomaterial synthesis. This review synthesizes recent progress in stimulus-assisted nanoprecipitation, wherein externally applied triggers (ultrasonic, electrical, supergravity, thermal, chemical, and photonic/other stimuli) are integrated with contemporary mixing technologies (batch, flash, microfluidic, membrane and high-shear reactors) to decouple and selectively control over nucleation, growth kinetics, and assembly processes. These methods allow for the precise tuning of the size, morphology, stability and functionality of nanoparticles (NPs), thereby broadening their applications in drug delivery, catalysis and materials science. We distill mechanistic principles by which each stimulus alters local supersaturation, chain mobility, interfacial instabilities, or droplet/film microreactor dynamics, and compare advantages and limitations by surveying research works from recent years. We also explore the potential development trends of multiscale coupling models, design rules for stimulus-compatible continuous reactors, and adoption of data-driven optimization frameworks to expand the capabilities of nanoprecipitation for advanced nanomaterial design.