<p>Previous research faces challenges in achieving uniform nanoparticle dispersion, ensuring consistent nanofluid properties across varying flow conditions, and addressing potential clogging issues in finned heat exchangers with complex geometries. With a focus on factors including viscosity, thermal conductivity, and heat transfer coefficient, this study examines the effects of nanofluids vs conventional fluids in finned heat exchangers. To evaluate their effect on heat transfer efficiency, titanium dioxide nanoparticles are added to reverse osmosis water at different concentrations (as 0.05–0.5&#xa0;vol.%). The research also explores the application of nanofluid jet impingement cooling on a finned heat exchanger with staggered spacing to enhance convective heat transmission. The findings show that heat management consistently improves as nanoparticle concentration rises, and that normalized wall shear stress dramatically decreases when Reynolds numbers rise across a range of Grashof numbers, demonstrating a 30% reduction under some circumstances. The research also observes a steady rise in bulk temperature along the channel length as Reynolds numbers increase, with a maximum increase of 12&#xa0;°C, indicating enhanced thermal development. Furthermore, the heat transfer performance shows marked improvements with higher nanoparticle concentrations, particularly at higher heat inputs. The findings demonstrate that titanium dioxide nanofluids provide substantial advantages over conventional fluids, offering improved heat transfer and reduced thermal resistance.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>