A microfluidic spiral for size-dependent fractionation of magnetic microspheres

Magnetic microspheres (MMS) are useful tools for a variety of medical and pharmaceutical applications. Typically, commercially manufactured MMS exhibit broad size distributions. This polydispersity is problematic for many applications. Since the direct synthesis of monodisperse MMS is often fraught with technical challenges, there is considerable interest in and need associated with the development of techniques for size-dependent fractionation of MMS. In this study we demonstrated continuous size-dependent fractionation of sub-micron scale particles driven by secondary (Dean effect) flows in curved microfluidic channels. Our goal was to demonstrate that such techniques can be applied to MMS containing superparamagnetic nanoparticles. To achieve this goal, we developed and tested a microfluidic chip for continuous MMS fractionation. Our data address two key areas. First, the densities of MMS are typically in the range 1.5–2.5 g/cm³, and thus they tend be non-neutrally buoyant. Our data demonstrate that efficient size-dependent fractionation of MMS entrained in water (density 1 g/cm³) is possible and is not significantly influenced by the density mismatch. In this context we show that a mixture comprising two different monodisperse MMS components can be separated into its constituent parts with 100% and 88% success for the larger and smaller particles, respectively. Similarly, we show that a suspension of polydisperse MMS can be separated into streams containing particles with different mean diameters. Second, our data demonstrate that efficient size-dependent fractionation of MMS is not impeded by magnetic interactions between particles, even under application of homogeneous magnetic fields as large as 35 kA/m. The chip is thus suitable for the separation of different particle fractions in a continuous process and the size fractions can be chosen simply by adjusting the flow velocity of the carrier fluid. These facts open the door to size dependent fractionation of MMS.     

Rhodium-Catalyzed Amination of Aromatic Olefins [1]

Summary.  The oxidative amination of styrene with secondary amines in the presence of cationic rhodium catalysts yields regiospecifically the corresponding anti-Markovnikov enamines. Styrene as the hydrogen acceptor gave concomitantly ethylbenzene. In the presence of 1,5-cyclooctadiene (cod) preferential reduction to cyclooctene takes place. The addition of cod reduces the rate of the reaction, but also the amount of ethylbenzene produced. Here, for the first time the ratio of enamine: ethylbenzene is > 1, which is favourable in case of more expensive styrene derivatives. A screening of various ligands for oxidative amination reveals that hemilabile 2-(ω-phosphino-n-alkyl)-pyridines are superior ligands for this reaction compared to simple alkyl and aryl phosphines. Received May 30, 2000. Accepted July 11, 2000     

Fast Response Oxygen Micro-Optodes Based on Novel Soluble Ormosil Glasses

 A new type of phenyl substituted ormosils as a matrix for oxygen-sensitive micro-optodes is described. The new ormosils combine features of classical polymers such as solubility in organic solvents and those of sol–gel glasses such as mechanical stability and a porous structure. They make possible a simple and fast fabrication of microsensors with reproducible properties. The influence of the conditions during the polymerisation process (precursor composition and thermal treatment) on the sensing properties has been studied in detail. Oxygen-sensitive films with ruthenium(II)–tris-(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline) and platinum(II)–octaethylporphyrin as indicators were characterised with respect to their mechanical and photophysical properties. Photostability, oxygen sensitivity, response behaviour and signal intensities of the sensing films and the micro-optodes were examined. Micro-optodes based on the new sensing materials are fast responding, photostable and can be produced with a sufficient batch to batch reproducibility. Compared to previously described oxygen micro-optodes, where polystyrene was used as immobilisation matrix, the new sensors can be autoclaved and show favourable properties such as a faster response and a higher sensitivity. They possess many potential applications in medical and biological research. Received June 12, 1998. Revision December 10, 1998.     

John Napiers Trigonometrie – ein Blick zurück

Zusammenfassung  Dieser Artikel gibt einen überblick über Napiers Beitr?ge zur sph?rischen Trigonometrie, wobei die dafür notwendigen sachlichen und historischen Grundlagen weitgehend bereitgestellt werden. Da diese Beitr?ge in der Literatur trotz ihrer erheblichen Bedeutung ganz im Schatten von Napiers Logarithmen stehen, erscheint eine solche Zusammenschau gerechtfertigt. Auch kommen einige neue oder kaum bekannte Einzelheiten zur Sprache. Mathematics subject classification (2000)  01A45 · 51-03     

Thermal Rearrangements of Monoterpenes and Monoterpenoids

The thermal conversions of monoterpenes and monoterpenoids are an interesting field of research with respect to mechanistic, kinetic, and theoretical issues. Since the beginning of the 20th century, these reactions have attracted the interest of many research groups, and even today there are sufficient problems and questions to deal with. This review covers the thermal isomerization chemistry of pinanes, pinenes, carenes, and thujenes over the past 70 years. Categorization of these compounds into groups, each of them being represented by a small parent molecule (cyclobutane, vinylcyclobutane, vinylcyclopropane), allows systematization of multitude of publications.     

Modified Boussinesq''s equations for nonuniform tire loading

Hypotheses from elasticity theory were used for modeling stress distribution in a semi-infinite-homogeneous medium when a point load was applied on its surface. A Concentration factor coefficient was introduced to adapt the equations to the characteristics of the investigated soil. An expression for continuous load distributions and variations in the geometry of the contact area between soil and tire were obtained by means of the superposition principle. Some simulations for different areas and load distributions are discussed and compared with field measurements.