Microfluidic Crystallization for Screening of Spherical Particles of Pyraclostrobin

Abstract

The semicontinuous antisolvent crystallization process of pyraclostrobin was investigated utilizing an integrated microfluidic device that encompasses both microfluidic channels and an agitated crystallizer. We successfully regulated the crystal morphology as quasi-spherical particles and narrowed the particle size distribution compared with that of the raw materials. We explored the impact of ultrasound powers, initial concentration, antisolvent content, and stirring rate on crystal morphology. Our innovative approach involves precisely manipulating the stirring rate and solvent content, resulting in diverse crystal morphologies. Notably, we unveil two distinct mechanisms governing the formation of spherical particles, which can be attributed to the variability in the oil droplet sizes. Our apparatus and approach enable the efficient screening of spherical particles, advocating minimal reagent consumption. This achievement holds the potential to be scaled across a variety of fields ranging from pharmaceuticals to material science.