Ball milling in organic synthesis: solutions and challenges

During the last decade numerous protocols have been published using the method of ball milling for synthesis all over the field of organic chemistry. However, compared to other methods leaving their marks on the road to sustainable synthesis (e.g. microwave, ultrasound, ionic liquids) chemistry in ball mills is rather underrepresented in the knowledge of organic chemists. Especially, in the last three years the interest in this technique raised continuously, culminating in several high-quality synthetic procedures covering the whole range of organic synthesis. Thus, the present tutorial review will be focused on the highlights using this method of energy transfer and energy dissipation. The central aim is to motivate researchers to take notice of ball mills as chemical reactors, implementing this technique in everyday laboratory use and thus, pave the ground for future activities in this interdisciplinary field of research.     

Mechanochemical and Size Reduction Machines for Biorefining

In recent years, we have witnessed an increasing interest in the application of mechanochemical methods for processing materials in biomass refining techniques. Grinding and mechanical pretreatment are very popular methods utilized to enhance the reactivity of polymers and plant raw materials; however, the choice of devices and their modes of action is often performed through trial and error. An inadequate choice of equipment often results in inefficient grinding, low reactivity of the product, excess energy expenditure, and significant wear of the equipment. In the present review, modern equipment employing various types of mechanical impacts, which show the highest promise for mechanochemical pretreatment of plant raw materials, is examined and compared—disc mills, attritors and bead mills, ball mills, planetary mills, vibration and vibrocentrifugal mills, roller and centrifugal roller mills, extruders, hammer mills, knife mills, pin mills, disintegrators, and jet mills. The properly chosen type of mechanochemical activation (and equipment) allows an energetically and economically sound enhancement of the reactivity of solid-phase polymers by increasing the effective surface area accessible to reagents, reducing the amount of crystalline regions and the diffusion coefficient, disordering the supramolecular structure of the material, and mechanochemically reacting with the target substances.     

Strain Release Chemistry of Photogenerated Small-Ring Intermediates

Photochemical processes, such as isomerizations and cycloadditions, have proven to be very useful in the construction of highly strained molecular frameworks. Photoinduced ring strain enables subsequent exergonic reactions which do not require the input of additional chemical energy and provides a variety of attractive synthetic options leading to complex structures. This review covers the progress achieved in the application of sequences combining excitation by ultraviolet light to form strained intermediates, which are further transformed to lower energy products in strain-release reactions. As ring strain is considerable in small ring systems, photogenerated three- and four-membered rings will be covered, mainly focusing on examples from 2000 to May 2020.     

Parallel mixing of photolithographically defined nanoliter volumes using elastomeric microvalve arrays

Portable microfluidic systems provide simple and effective solutions for low-cost point-of-care diagnostics and high-throughput biomedical assays. Robust flow control and precise fluidic volumes are two critical requirements for these applications. We have developed a monolithic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microdevice that allows for storing and mixing subnanoliter volumes of aqueous solutions at various mixing ratios. Filling and mixing is controlled via two integrated PDMS microvalve arrays. The volumes of the microchambers are entirely defined by photolithography, hence volumes from picoliter to nanoliter can be fabricated with high precision. Because the microvalves do not require an energy input to stay closed, fluid can be stored in a highly portable fashion for several days. We have confirmed the mixing precision and predictability using fluorescence microscopy. We also demonstrate the application of the device for calibrating fluorescent calcium indicators. Due to the biocompatibility of PDMS, the device will have broad applications in miniaturized diagnostic assays as well as basic biological studies.     

一些热塑改性热固性树脂体系结构对反应诱导相分离时间/温度依赖性的影响

利用光学显微镜、DSC等手段研究了一些上临界共溶温度(UCST)类型的热塑性改性热固性树脂体系反应诱导相分离时间/温度依赖性随组分化学结构的变化规律.结果表明,分相活化能Ea(ps)受热塑性树脂的主链结构、热固性单体、交联剂结构、化学计量比等因素的影响.利用相互作用能密度解释了实验所研究的UCST体系的相分离活化能Ea(ps)随组分结构的变化规律.     

Biased Brownian motion as the operating principle for microscopic engines

The hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has been shown to drive the motion of motor proteins along a biopolymer. These motor proteins are the smallest engines known and, in the absence of an ATP-to-adenosine diphosphate chemical potential, they execute Brownian motion. Therefore, it is reasonable to imagine that the energy released in ATP hydrolysis is used to bias, or rectify, Brownian motion in one direction. In this paper, we show, in terms of Fokker-Planck equations that we solve analytically, how a net flow can occur along a periodic potential, provided that this potential has an anisotropy and that there is an energy input. We work out two cases: one case where the energy input comes from a fluctuation of the periodic potential in time and one case where a variation of temperature within a period is maintained. An interesting feature of these systems is that they need “the correct amount” of thermal noise. Without thermal noise or with too much thermal noise, no net flow occurs and, in this sense, the systems we discuss are one more example of the lately much discussed phenomenon of stochastic resonance.     

纳米孔道动电效应能量转换系统的前沿研究进展

可再生清洁能源的开发和利用对人类社会的可持续发展具有重要意义。 基于动电效应的纳米孔道能量转换系统将流体机械能转化为电能,有望应用于微型电源部件、自驱动纳米机器、微机电体系等领域,为清洁能源发电系统的开发提供了全新的选择。 纳米孔道中的机械能-电能转换过程涉及固体孔道与流体界面间的相互作用,合理设计孔道界面的微观结构,对其进行化学修饰及探讨界面间的相互作用,是提高能量转换效率和输出功率的关键。 近年来,随着纳米技术的迅猛发展及人们对界面物理化学的深入研究,纳米孔道结构和纳流体发电体系能被更精准地设计和集成。 本文主要介绍了基于动电效应的纳米孔道能量转换系统的基本概念,重点关注了纳米孔道中动电效应的最新研究进展,并对该领域进行了展望,为纳米孔道动电效应能量转换系统、纳米发电机、自驱动纳米机器、可穿戴器件等领域的进一步发展和应用提供参考。     

Vortex-layer devices as import-substituting equipment to produce paints and adhesives

It is proposed to use domestically produced vortex layer devices instead of imported bead mills for grinding pigments (and the synthesis of some of them) in the paint industry, for preparation of intermediates of film formers for the reduction of aromatic nitro-compounds to primary amines used as curing agents for epoxy oligomers, in the synthesis of dyes, etc. It is shown that using these devices results in not only technological advantages over bead mills, but will also allow us to replace some types of imported raw materials.     

A functional on-chip pressure generator using solid chemical propellant for disposable lab-on-a-chip

This paper presents a functional on-chip pressure generator that utilizes chemical energy from a solid chemical propellant to perform fluidic delivery in applications of plastic-based disposable biochips or lab-on-a-chip systems. In this functional on-chip pressure generator, azobis-isobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the solid chemical propellant is deposited on a microheater using a screen-printing technique, which can heat the AIBN at 70 degrees C to produce nitrogen gas. The output pressure of nitrogen gas, generated from the solid chemical propellant, is adjustable to a desired pressure by controlling the input power of the heater. Using this chemical energy source, the generated pressure depends on the deposited amount of the solid chemical propellant and the temperature of the microheater. Experimental measurements show that this functional on-chip pressure generator can achieve around 3 000 Pa pressure when 189 mJ of energy is applied to heat the 100 microg of AIBN. This pressure can drive 50 nl of water through a microfluidic channel of 70 mm and cross-sectional area of 100 microm x 50 microm. Due to its compact size, ease of fabrication and integration, high reliability (no moving parts), biologically inert gas output along with functionality of gas generation, this pressure generator will be an excellent pressure source for handling the fluids of disposable lab-on-a-chip, biochemical analysis systems or drug delivery systems.     

A micro-spherical heart pump powered by cultured cardiomyocytes

Miniaturization of chemical or biochemical systems creates extremely efficient devices exploiting the advantages of microspaces. Although they are often targeted for implanted tissue engineered organs or drug-delivery devices because of their highly integrated systems, microfluidic devices are usually powered by external energy sources and therefore difficult to be used in vivo. A microfluidic device powered without the need for external energy sources or stimuli is needed. Previously, we demonstrated the concept of a cardiomyocyte pump using only chemical energy input to cells as a driver (Yo Tanaka, Keisuke Morishima, Tatsuya Shimizu, Akihiko Kikuchi, Masayuki Yamato, Teruo Okano and Takehiko Kitamori, Lab Chip, 6(3), pp. 362-368). However, the structure of this prototype pump described there included complicated mechanical components and fabricated compartments. Here, we have created a micro-spherical heart-like pump powered by spontaneously contracting cardiomyocyte sheets driven without a need for external energy sources or coupled stimuli. This device was fabricated by wrapping a beating cardiomyocyte sheet exhibiting large contractile forces around a fabricated hollow elastomeric sphere (5 mm diameter, 250 microm polymer thickness) fixed with inlet and outlet ports. Fluid oscillations in a capillary connected to the hollow sphere induced by the synchronously pulsating cardiomyocyte sheet were confirmed, and the device continually worked for at least 5 days in this system. This bio/artificial hybrid fluidic pump device is innovative not only because it is driven by cells using only chemical energy input, but also because the design is an optimum structure (sphere). We anticipate that this device might be applied for various purposes including a bio-actuator for medical implant devices that relies on biochemical energy, not electrical interfacing.     

Macroscopic Self‐Propelled Objects

Self‐propelled systems are currently in the spotlight of the research community. We review the progress of the construction of both millimeter‐ and centimeter‐sized self‐propelled macroscopic objects. We will also discuss the various sources of energy used by these systems, such as the electromagnetic field, electric field, thermal gradient, and chemical energy, and present how these millimeter‐ and centimeter‐sized devices can move at velocities of tens cm s^?1 and distances of several tens of meters.     

Determination of the energy distribution in unimolecular reactions under soft collision conditions

The effective energy distribution of activated molecules at the time of reaction under soft collision conditions ?′(E, ω) is pressure dependent and therefore difficult to recover from unimolecular decomposition data obtained at different pressures. We show in this work that the part of this function restricted to the condition that the collision frequency ω has to be equal to the microscopic rate constant k(E) at the energy given ?″[E,ω = k(E)] is a reasonable approximation to the input energy distribution ?(E) for quite soft collisions. This function is not pressure dependent and then recoverable at least in principle and as a matter of fact is not conceptually far from the function that the already reported deconvolution methods based in physical approximations attempt to recover. The deconvolution methods have been checked under soft collision conditions. We have found that the input energy distribution is recovered with reasonable accuracy for energies transferred by collision 〈ΔE〉 above 5 kcal mol^?1, conditions common in polyatomic systems.     

Ruthenium-based light-driven molecular machine prototypes: synthesis and properties

In the past years, many dynamic systems often referred to as "molecular machines" have been elaborated. They are generally set in motion by external stimuli like chemical, electrochemical, or photochemical reactions. Light irradiation seems particularly promising since the input signal can be switched on and off fast and readily on a very small place. In this tutorial review, we will highlight recent advances in the design and synthesis of various ruthenium(II) complexed rotaxanes, catenanes, scorpionates or macrocycles. In these compounds, one part of the system is set in motion by photochemically expelling a given chelate. We will discuss the behaviour of various topologically non-trivial systems like catenanes and rotaxanes as well as acyclic and macrocyclic models.     

多原子反应体系的高精度拟合势能面

本文介绍了近几年来我们组构建多原子反应体系的高精度拟合势能面的进展。我们基于神经网络(NN)方法,成功构建了多原子气相分子体系和气相分子在金属表面解离的一系列势能面。这些势能面的拟合精度相当高,并且经过了严格的量子动力学测试,能广泛应用到动力学研究中。我们还提出了一种新的置换不变势能面的拟合方法,即基本不变量神经网络方法(FI-NN)。基本不变量的使用极大地减少了神经网络输入层多项式的个数,有效提高了势能面的计算速度。     

Energy scavenging for long-term deployable wireless sensor networks

The coming decade will see the rapid emergence of low cost, intelligent, wireless sensors and their widespread deployment throughout our environment. While wearable systems will operate over communications ranges of less than a meter, building management systems will operate with inter-node communications ranges of the order of meters to tens of meters and remote environmental monitoring systems will require communications systems and associated energy systems that will allow reliable operation over kilometers. Autonomous power should allow wireless sensor nodes to operate in a "deploy and forget" mode. The use of rechargeable battery technology is problematic due to battery lifetime issues related to node power budget, battery self-discharge, number of recharge cycles and long-term environmental impact. Duty cycling of wireless sensor nodes with long "SLEEP" times minimises energy usage. A case study of a multi-sensor, wireless, building management system operating using the Zigbee protocol demonstrates that, even with a 1 min cycle time for an 864 ms "ACTIVE" mode, the sensor module is already in SLEEP mode for almost 99% of the time. For a 20-min cycle time, the energy utilisation in SLEEP mode exceeds the ACTIVE mode energy by almost a factor of three and thus dominates the module energy utilisation thereby providing the ultimate limit to the power system lifetime. Energy harvesting techniques can deliver energy densities of 7.5 mW/cm(2) from outdoor solar, 100 microW/cm(2) from indoor lighting, 100 microW/cm(3) from vibrational energy and 60 microW/cm(2) from thermal energy typically found in a building environment. A truly autonomous, "deploy and forget" battery-less system can be achieved by scaling the energy harvesting system to provide all the system energy needs. In the building management case study discussed, for duty cycles of less than 0.07% (i.e. in ACTIVE mode for 0.864 s every 20 min), energy harvester device dimensions of approximately 2 cm on a side would be sufficient to supply the complete wireless sensor node energy. Key research challenges to be addressed to deliver future, remote, wireless, chemo-biosensing systems include the development of low cost, low-power sensors, miniaturised fluidic transport systems, anti-bio-fouling sensor surfaces, sensor calibration, reliable and robust system packaging, as well as associated energy delivery systems and energy budget management.     

Artificial Supramolecular Pumps Powered by Light

The development of artificial nanoscale motors that can use energy from a source to perform tasks requires systems capable of performing directionally controlled molecular movements and operating away from chemical equilibrium. Here, the design, synthesis and properties of pseudorotaxanes are described, in which a photon input triggers the unidirectional motion of a macrocyclic ring with respect to a non-symmetric molecular axle. The photoinduced energy ratcheting at the basis of the pumping mechanism is validated by measuring the relevant thermodynamic and kinetic parameters. Owing to the photochemical behavior of the azobenzene moiety embedded in the axle, the pump can repeat its operation cycle autonomously under continuous illumination. NMR spectroscopy was used to observe the dissipative non-equilibrium state generated in situ by light irradiation. We also show that fine changes in the axle structure lead to an improvement in the performance of the motor. Such results highlight the modularity and versatility of this minimalist pump design, which provides facile access to dynamic systems that operate under photoinduced non-equilibrium regimes.     

Features of germanium tetrafluoride reduction with hydrogen in inductively and capacitively coupled radiofrequency discharges

The process of plasma-chemical conversion of germanium tetrafluoride in a radiofrequency discharge (13.56 MHz) has been studied. The dependences of the germanium yield on the specific energy input, the H₂/GeF₄ molar ratio, and the total pressure have been measured. The maximum germanium yield is more than 95%. The minimum specific energy consumption at an energy input of 9 MJ/mol is 9.4 MJ/mol or 2.6 kW h/mol Ge. A mechanism of plasma-assisted reduction of germanium tetrafluoride under the given the experimental conditions has been proposed.     

Periodic boundary condition induced breakdown of the equipartition principle and other kinetic effects of finite sample size in classical hard-sphere molecular dynamics simulation

We examine consequences of the non-Boltzmann nature of probability distributions for one-particle kinetic energy, momentum, and velocity for finite systems of classical hard spheres with constant total energy and nonidentical masses. By comparing two cases, reflecting walls (NVE or microcanonical ensemble) and periodic boundaries (NVEPG or molecular dynamics ensemble), we describe three consequences of the center-of-mass constraint in periodic boundary conditions: the equipartition theorem no longer holds for unequal masses, the ratio of the average relative velocity to the average velocity is increased by a factor of [N/(N-1)]1/2, and the ratio of average collision energy to average kinetic energy is increased by a factor of N/(N-1). Simulations in one, two, and three dimensions confirm the analytic results for arbitrary dimension.     

Controlling the energy transfer in dipole chains

Processing digital signals on the molecular scale is of great interest. In this paper, we discuss the control of pulselike energy propagation through one-dimensional arrays of dipoles. Three systems are explored. In the first system, a chain of coaxial dipoles is gated by two control dipoles. Changing the orientation of these control dipoles lets us control the transfer of energy in the chain. In the other two systems, the chain-branch system and the two-branch system, two chains are used as an input and the propagation of energy is controlled by sending one or two signals toward the junction. Both systems can operate as a logical AND port. Their geometrical configurations are key to a well-defined control and operation of the AND port.