Method and apparatus for making uniform and ultrasmall nanoparticles

A method of producing nanoparticles, the method comprising:

• vaporizing a precursor material with a plasma stream within a reaction chamber, thereby forming a reactive mixture stream comprising the vaporized precursor material entrained within the plasma stream;
• flowing the reactive mixture stream through an ejection port of the reaction chamber and into a quench region of a quench chamber having a frusto-conical surface that narrows as it extends away from the ejection port of the reaction chamber, wherein the ejection port is located within a frusto-conical-shaped portion of the quench chamber;
• flowing a conditioning fluid through an injection ring disposed at the ejection port of the reaction chamber into the reactive mixture stream as the reactive mixture stream flows through the ejection port of the reaction chamber, thereby disturbing the flow of the reactive mixture stream and creating turbulence within the quench region;
• quenching the reactive mixture stream within the quench region to form a cooled mixture stream comprising condensed nanoparticles;
• and
• flowing the cooled mixture stream through a cooled mixture outlet of the quench chamber.