Chandrakantha Bekal

Supercritical fluid processing has developed into a versatile and environmentally responsible approach for the controlled fabrication of nanomaterials, distinguished by low density, viscosity, high diffusivity, and negligible surface tension. These intrinsic features enhance nucleation, efficient mass transport, and accurate control over particle dimensions, morphology, and compositional uniformity. This review comprehensively examines the fundamental principles of supercritical fluids, encompassing phase behavior, thermophysical characteristics, and the mechanisms governing nanoparticle formation, along with important engineering aspects related to both batch and continuous‐flow reactor configurations. The preparation of metal, metal oxide, and composite nanostructures through supercritical techniques is critically evaluated, emphasizing their benefits compared with traditional solid‐state and solution‐based synthesis routes. Special attention is given to the evolution toward high‐entropy oxides, where supercritical conditions enable homogeneous multication distribution, enhanced phase development, and defect modulation under kinetically advantageous environments. By establishing clear relationships between processing conditions, structural characteristics, and electrochemical performance, this review highlights the promise of SCF‐enabled methodologies as scalable and sustainable pathways for designing advanced multicomponent oxide materials suited for energy storage and catalytic applications.

Droplet microfluidics finds its application in medical, chemical and biological research as well as in the field of medical device manufacturing. This paper studies the T-junction microfluidics and its parameters, such as droplet length and breakup time, as they vary with the channel width and phase velocities. The study reveals that droplet length rises with an increase in either of the channel width and time taken for breakup reduces and attains a steady value when dispersed phase width is increased. The droplets are smaller in size and form very quickly when the velocity of continuous phase is increased and vice versa. The study can be utilized as a part of a larger study of droplets and their particle encapsulations, and its utilization to generate more efficient and economical medical devices.

This study presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of light commercial vehicles (LCVs) used for refrigerated transport. Four configurations were evaluated: a baseline LCV, a reefer LCV with a front-mounted reefer unit, and two modified reefer LCV variants featuring aerodynamic enhancements—roof-mounted deflector and fins. The analysis focused on flow behavior, pressure distribution, and aerodynamic drag. The addition of the refrigeration unit introduced geometric discontinuities, leading to earlier flow separation and increased pressure drag. Comparative visualizations of pressure contours, velocity streamlines, and flow vectors revealed notable differences in aerodynamic performance across the configurations. The results showed that presence of the deflector over the cabin roof achieved the greatest drag reduction, outperforming the baseline model in terms of aerodynamic efficiency. The addition of fins to the reefer LCV also reduced drag but did not outperform the baseline model. These findings provide valuable insights into optimizing the aerodynamic design of refrigerated LCVs to improve fuel efficiency and reduce operational costs.