Supercritical fluids, particularly supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂), have emerged as innovative and environmentally friendly media for particle formation processes. Their unique physicochemical properties—including tunable density, low viscosity, and high diffusivity—enable precise control over solubility, precipitation, and particle morphology. This flexibility has enabled significant advancements in producing pharmaceuticals, polymers, catalysts, and nanomaterials with tailored properties. Despite these advantages, understanding the mechanisms of particle formation and optimizing process parameters remain ongoing challenges, fueling both academic interest and industrial applications in this rapidly evolving field.
The principal aim of this Research Topic is to explore novel strategies, technological advancements, and fundamental mechanisms underlying particle formation using supercritical fluids. Although considerable progress has been made, the control and predictability of size, shape, and distribution of particles remain limited by gaps in our knowledge of nucleation, growth kinetics, and fluid dynamics under supercritical conditions. Addressing these challenges is key to scaling up production, broadening material choices, and ensuring reproducibility of product quality. By collecting interdisciplinary research—from computational modeling to real-time process monitoring and green engineering practices—this Topic seeks to shed light on critical aspects hampering practical implementation and catalyze the development of next-generation particle formation techniques.
We welcome Original Research, Review, Mini Review and Perspective articles on themes including, but not limited to:
• Experimental and theoretical studies on supercritical fluid-assisted particle formation
• Advances in controlling particle size, morphology, and crystalline structure
• Process modelling, simulation, and scale-up
• Innovations in equipment design for supercritical processing
• Applications in pharmaceuticals, nanotechnology, and sustainable materials
• Green chemistry and environmental impacts of supercritical fluid processes
We welcome contributions that provide new insights into both fundamental and applied aspects of particle formation using supercritical fluids.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Opinion
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Opinion
Original Research
Perspective
Review
Technology and Code
Keywords: supercritical fluids, particle formation, green processing, nanotechnology, process optimization
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
