Continuous microfluidic reactors for polymer particles

This article provides an overview of our work in the area of the synthesis of polymer particles in continuous microfluidic reactors. The method includes (a) the generation of highly monodisperse monomer droplets in a microfluidic flow-focusing device and (b) in-situ solidification of these droplets by means of photopolymerization. We discuss the effect of monomer properties on the emulsification process, the effect of the polymerization rate on the production of high-quality particles, the role of the material of the microfluidic device in droplet formation, and the synthesis of particles with different shapes and compositions. We also demonstrate the production of highly ordered arrays of polymer particles achieved by photopolymerization of the dynamic lattices of monomer droplets in microfluidic channels. The article is concluded with a summary of future research directions in the production of polymer colloids in microfluidic reactors.     

Microfluidic synthesis of colloidal silica

We demonstrate the design, fabrication, and operation of microfluidic chemical reactors for the synthesis of colloidal silica particles. Two reactor configurations are examined: laminar flow reactors and segmented flow reactors. We analyze particle sizes and size distributions and examine their change with varying linear flow velocity and mean residence time. Laminar flow reactors are affected by axial dispersion at high linear velocities, thus leading to wide particle size distributions under these conditions. Gas is used to create a segmented flow, consisting liquid plugs separated by inert gas bubbles. The internal recirculation created in the liquid plugs generates mixing, which eliminates the axial dispersion effects associated with laminar flow reactors and produces a narrow size distribution of silica nanoparticles.     

Site-specific protein immobilization in a microfluidic chip channel via an IEF-gelation process

A novel strategy for site-specific protein immobilization via combining chip IEF with low-temperature sol-gel technology, called IEF-GEL here, in the channel of a modified poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microfluidic chip is proposed in this work. The IEF-GEL process involves firstly IEF for homogeneously dissolved protein in PBS containing alumina sol and carrier ampholyte with prearranged pH gradient, and then gelation locally for protein encapsulation. The process and feasibility of proposed IEF-GEL were investigated by EOF measurements, fluorescence microscopic photography, Raman spectrum and further demonstrated by glucose oxidase (GOx) reactors integrated with end-column electrochemical detection. Site-controllable immobilization of protein was realized in a 30 mm long microfluidic chip channel by the strategy to create a approximately 1.7 mm concentrated FITC-BSA band, which leads to great improvement of the elute peak shape, accomplished with remarkably increased sensitivity, approximately 20 times higher than that without IEF-GEL treatment to GOx reactors. The kinetic response of GOx after IEF-GEL treatment was also investigated. The proposed system holds the advantages of IEF and low-temperature sol-gel technologies, i.e. concentrating the protein to be focused and retaining the biological activity for the gel-embedded protein, thus realizes site-specific immobilization of low-concentration protein at nL volume level.     

IAEA activities for the production and utilization of isotopes: Some examples of recent work

The paper gives a brief overview of typical IAEA activities which contribute to the production of isotopes in nuclear reactors and accelerators, as well as their use. The areas touched upon include (1) isotope production in research reactors and accelerators, (2) quality control and quality assurance in radioanalytical measurements, (3) neutron activation analysis, (4) nuclear methods for land mine detection, (5) radiopharmaceuticals and nuclear medicine, (6) isotope techniques of water resource management and (7) soil management and crop nutrition.     

微通道连续合成UiO-66系列改性MOF材料

采用内交叉指型微反应器连续合成UiO-66材料. 连续微通道法强化了物料之间的混合, 极大提高了生产效率, 晶体产物呈六面体形, 粒径在100 nm以下. 考察了温度、 总进料流量和停留时间等条件对合成过程及产物的影响. 结果表明, 升高温度有助于晶粒的生长; 随着总进料流量增大, 晶体粒径减小; 晶体的形成需要一定的停留时间, 超过该停留时间, 晶体粒径不再增大. 通过优化实验条件, 可以实现系列纳米级UiO-66-X材料(X=NH₂, NO₂, Br)的连续合成.     

氢核磁共振谱自旋耦合裂分现象的量子力学解释

Hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-NMR) is an important content in the university course of instrumental analysis and organic structure analysis. The splitting law of spin coupling between hydrogen nuclei is the focus of teaching and learning. Most textbooks explain that the cause of spin coupling splitting is due to the local magnetic field produced by the different spin orientation of other adjacent nuclei (nuclei magnetic dipole-dipole interaction, direct nuclear spin coupling), and a few monograph on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance refers to electron spin polarization mediated nuclear spin coupling (indirect nuclear spin coupling). Here we introduce quantum mechanics for explanation of the splitting law of spin coupling between hydrogen nuclei.     

Multistage Microfluidic Platform for the Continuous Synthesis of III–V Core/Shell Quantum Dots

We present a fully continuous chip microreactor‐based multistage platform for the synthesis of quantum dots with heterostructures. The use of custom‐designed chip reactors enables precise control of heating profiles and flow distribution across the microfluidic channels while conducting multistep reactions. The platform can be easily reconfigured by reconnecting the differently designed chip reactors allowing for screening of various reaction parameters during the synthesis of nanocrystals. III–V core/shell quantum dots are chosen as model reaction systems, including InP/ZnS, InP/ZnSe, InP/CdS and InAs/InP, which are prepared in flow using a maximum of six chip reactors in series.     

Integration of large-area polymer nanopillar arrays into microfluidic devices using in situ polymerization cast molding

Presented here is a simple and robust approach for the integration of mixed-scale (nm-cm) structures into fluidic devices. We report on devices composed of large-area polymer nanopillar arrays of high aspect ratio (33-667) integrated into microfluidic channels fabricated by cast-molding polymerization of methyl methacrylate with mechanically/lithographically patterned, nanoporous aluminium oxide (AAO) templates. The microchannels containing the nanopillar arrays can be chemically functionalized and used for a variety of applications, such as separation beds or solid-phase reactors/extractors.     

Microfluidic Device： A Miniaturized Platform for Chemical Reactions

Microfluidic devices, as a new miniaturized platform stemming from the field of micro-electromechanical sys-tems, have been used in many disciplines. In the field of chemical reactions, microfluidic device-based microreac-tors have shown great promise in building new chemical technologies and processes with increased speed and reli- ability and reduced sample consumption and cost. This technology has also become a new and effective tool for precise, high-throughput, and automatic analysis of chemical synthesis processes. Compared with conventional chemical laboratory batch methodologies, microfluidic reactors have a number of features, such as high mixing ef- ficiency, short reaction time, high heat-transfer coefficient, small reactant volume, controllable residence time, and high surface-to-volume ratio, among others. Combined with recent advances in microfluidic devices for chemical reactions, this review aims to give an overview of the features and applications of microfluidic devices in the field of chemical synthesis. It also aims to stimulate the development of microfluidic device applications in the field of chemical reactions.     

Monolithic media in microfluidic devices for proteomics

Considerable effort has been invested in the development of integrated microfluidic devices for fast and highly efficient proteomic studies. Among various fabrication techniques for the preparation of analytical components (separation columns, reactors, extractors, valves, etc.) in integrated microchips, in situ fabrication of monolithic media is receiving increasing attention. This is mainly due to the ease and simplicity of preparation of monolithic media and the availability of various precursors and chemistries. In addition, UV-initiated photopolymerization technique enables the incorporation of multiple analytical components into specified parts of a single microchip using photomasks. This review summarizes preparation methods for monolithic media and their application as microfluidic analytical components in microchips.     

Continuous flow multi-stage microfluidic reactors via hydrodynamic microparticle railing

"Multi-stage" fluidic reactions are integral to diverse biochemical assays; however, such processes typically require laborious and time-intensive fluidic mixing procedures in which distinct reagents and/or washes must be loaded sequentially and separately (i.e., one-at-a-time). Microfluidic processors that enable multi-stage fluidic reactions with suspended microparticles (e.g., microbeads and cells) to be performed autonomously could greatly extend the efficacy of lab-on-a-chip technologies. Here we present a single-layer microfluidic reactor that utilizes a microfluidic railing methodology to passively transport suspended microbeads and cells into distinct, adjacent laminar flow streams for rapid fluidic mixing and assaying. Four distinct molecular synthesis processes (i.e., consisting of 48 discrete fluidic mixing stages in total) were accomplished on polystyrene microbead substrates (15 μm in diameter) in parallel, without the need for external observation or regulation during device operation. Experimental results also revealed successful railing of suspended bovine aortic endothelial cells (approximately 13 to 17 μm in diameter). The presented railing system provides an effective continuous flow methodology to achieve bead-based and cell-based microfluidic reactors for applications including point-of-care (POC) molecular diagnostics, pharmacological screening, and quantitative cell biology.     

Lattice Boltzmann simulations of electrolysis reactions: Microfluidic voltammetry

A lattice Boltzmann model was used to simulate electrolysis reactions occurring within reactors where fluid is pumped through the device under microfluidic control. This article describes the application of two- and three-dimensional procedures for the simulation of the fluid velocities and mass transport characteristics within reactors of an arbitrary geometry. The lattice Boltzmann method is used to simulate the mass transport limited reduction of a species at a large planar electrode, embedded within one wall of a rectangular duct, under either steady-state or potential step conditions. The results of the simulations are compared to both those predicted analytically and via Finite Difference methods for this geometry and used to assess the accuracy of the approach. Good agreement is found between the lattice Boltzmann models and the well-established analytical theory, highlighting the potential of this approach for electrochemical applications within microfluidic environments. A major benefit of the lattice Boltzmann approach is the simple extension of the method to more complex cell and electrode geometries; the potential benefits of this are also noted.     

Production of alternative fuel on the basis of nuclear power sources

The largest share of the power market belongs to motor fuel and energy supply to industry. The results of the implementation of the nuclear hydrogen power program and development of innovative projects of nuclear reactors (Generation-4, NPNG) allow to contend that solution of energy problems necessitates development of a new technology based on high-temperature gas reactors (HTGR) not only for enhancing the efficiency of electric power generation, but also for producing hydrogen from water.     

A new mechanism for electron spin echo envelope modulation

Electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) has been observed for the first time from a coupled heterospin pair of electron and nucleus in liquid solution. Previously, modulation effects in spin-echo experiments have only been described in liquid solutions for a coupled pair of homonuclear spins in nuclear magnetic resonance or a pair of resonant electron spins in electron paramagnetic resonance. We observe low-frequency ESEEM (26 and 52 kHz) due to a new mechanism present for any electron spin with S > 12 that is hyperfine coupled to a nuclear spin. In our case these are electron spin (S = 32) and nuclear spin (I = 1) in the endohedral fullerene N@C(60). The modulation is shown to arise from second-order effects in the isotropic hyperfine coupling of an electron and (14)N nucleus.     

Solder-based chip-to-tube and chip-to-chip packaging for microfluidic devices

Constructing a microsystem compatible with a large variety of chemistries requires a system design that will be robust in the presence of different compounds and at a wide range of conditions. Although microreactors themselves can accommodate a great span of conditions, few packaging schemes are compatible with cryogenic temperatures, high pressures, and aggressive organic solvents. Solder-based connections are designed and implemented on silicon-based microreactors and are demonstrated to withstand elevated pressures (up to 200 atm), a wide range of temperatures (-78 to 160 degrees C) and a variety of solvent systems. Through the deposition of metal bonding pads directly onto silicon and glass surfaces, solder-based chip-to-tube connections can be reliably formed using handheld soldering tools. Packaging techniques are also described for fluidic chip-to-chip bonds, facilitating direct connection of microfluidic modules. This method greatly expands the utility of microfluidic reactors while enabling easy and reproducible fluidic packaging.     

Potential bacterial alteration of nuclear fuel debris: a preliminary study using simulants in powder and pellet forms

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Remnant nuclear fuel debris in the damaged nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) has contacted the groundwater...     

Computer generation of nuclear spin species and nuclear spin statistical weights

This article develops computer programs for computer generation of nuclear spin species and nuclear spin statistical weights of rovibronic levels. The programs developed here generate nuclear spin species and statistical weights from the group structures known as generalized character cycle indices (GCCI s) which are computed easily from the character table of the PI group of the molecule under consideration. Procedures are illustrated with examples.     

Nuclear spin selection rules for reactive collision systems by the spin-modification probability method

The spin-modification probability (SMP) method, which provides fundamental and detailed quantitative information on the nuclear spin selection rules, is discussed more systematically and generalized for reactive collision systems involving more than one configuration of reactant and product molecules, explicitly taking account of the conservation of the overall nuclear spin symmetry as well as the conservation of the total nuclear spin angular momentum, under the assumption of no nuclear hyperfine interaction. The values of SMP once calculated can be used for any system of identical nuclei of any spin as long as the system has the corresponding nuclear spin symmetry. The values of SMP calculated for simple systems can also be used for more complex systems containing several kinds of identical nuclei or various isotopomers. The generalized formulation of statistical scattering theory which can easily represent various rearrangement mechanisms is also presented.     

Spin‐Labeled Heparins as Polarizing Agents for Dynamic Nuclear Polarization

A potentially biocompatible class of spin‐labeled macromolecules, spin‐labeled (SL) heparins, and their use as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal enhancers are introduced. The signal enhancement is achieved through Overhauser‐type dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP). All presented SL‐heparins show high ¹H DNP enhancement factors up to E=?110, which validates that effectively more than one hyperfine line can be saturated even for spin‐labeled polarizing agents. The parameters for the Overhauser‐type DNP are determined and discussed. A striking result is that for spin‐labeled heparins, the off‐resonant electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) hyperfine lines contribute a non‐negligible part to the total saturation, even in the absence of Heisenberg spin exchange (HSE) and electron spin‐nuclear spin relaxation (T_1ne). As a result, we conclude that one can optimize the use of, for example, biomacromolecules for DNP, for which only small sample amounts are available, by using heterogeneously distributed radicals attached to the molecule.     

Nuclear spin conversion of methane in solid parahydrogen

The nuclear spin conversion of CH(4) and CD(4) isolated in solid parahydrogen was investigated by high resolution Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. From the analysis of the temporal changes of rovibrational absorption spectra, the nuclear spin conversion rates associated with the rotational relaxation from the J=1 state to the J=0 state for both species were determined at temperatures between 1 and 6 K. The conversion rate of CD(4) was found to be 2-100 times faster than that of CH(4) in this temperature range. The faster conversion in CD(4) is attributed to the quadrupole interaction of D atoms in CD(4), while the conversion in CH(4) takes place mainly through the nuclear spin-nuclear spin interaction. The conversion rates depend on crystal temperature strongly above 3.5 K for CH(4) and above 2 K for CD(4), while the rates were almost constant below these temperatures. The temperature dependence indicates that the one-phonon process is dominant at low temperatures, while two-phonon processes become important at higher temperatures as a cause of the nuclear spin conversion.