Shadow Doppler velocimetry with double fiber-array sensors

Shadow Doppler velocimetry (SDV) systems with double fiber-array sensors were developed for the measurements of particle trajectory angles and for the stereoscopic investigation of particles. The parallel two-line fiber-array configuration improves the accuracy of the trajectory angle measurement in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis, which contributes to the high accuracy of the particle shape reconstruction process. It also provides information on the other trajectory angle in a plane parallel to the two laser beams. Furthermore, it realizes "time-of-flight" velocity measurement, which provides the possibility to simplify the original SDV setup by removing the laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) components. On the other hand, stereoscopic SDV was also developed, which is effective in cases where three-dimensional characteristics of shape, orientation, or behavior of particles are important.     

Microfluidic baker's transformation device for three-dimensional rapid mixing

We developed a new passive-type micromixer based on the baker's transformation and realized a fast mixing of a protein solution, which has lower diffusion constant. The baker's transformation is an ideal mixing method, but there is no report on the microfluidic baker's transformation (MBT), since it is required to fabricate the complicated three-dimensional (3D) structure to realize the MBT device. In this note, we successfully fabricate the MBT device by using precision diamond cutting of an oxygen-free copper substrate for the mould fabrication and PDMS replication. The MBT device with 10.4 mm mixing length enables us to achieve complete mixing of a FITC solution (D = 2.6 × 10(-10) m(2) s(-1)) within 51 ms and an IgG solution (D = 4.6 × 10(-11) m(2) s(-1)) within 306 ms. Its mixing speed is 70-fold higher for a FITC solution and 900-fold higher for an IgG solution than the mixing speed by the microchannel without MBT structures. The Péclet number to attain complete mixing in the MBT device is estimated to be 6.9 × 10(4).     

Rapid Ultrasound-Assisted Emulsification Microextraction Combined with COU-2 Dispersive Micro-solid Phase Extraction for the Determination of Azole Antifungals in Milk Samples by HPLC-DAD

A rapid, simple, and efficient method using ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction combined with dispersive micro-solid phase extraction (USAE-D-µ-SPE) was developed for detection and quantification of three azole antifungals in milk samples by high-performance liquid chromatography diode array detector. In this study, mesoporous carbon, COU-2, was used as sorbent in USAE-D-µ-SPE for the extraction and preconcentration of analytes. Several important experimental parameters, including type of deproteinized solvents, desorption time, type of extraction solvents, volume of extraction solvent, extraction time, emulsification time, sample pH, salt addition, and mass of COU-2 sorbent, were optimized using spiked milk samples. Under the optimum extraction and detection conditions, three azole antifungals, namely ketoconazole, clotrimazole, and miconazole, were determined within 20 min, with good linearity of matrix-matched calibration in the range of 0.5–5000.0 µg L^?1 with coefficient of determination, r ² ≥ 0.9943. The method showed limits of detection and limits of quantification of all analytes in the range of 0.15–3.0 and 0.5–10.0 µg L^?1, respectively. Good repeatability with RSDs <15% (n = 3) and satisfactory relative recoveries (83.3–111.1%) were obtained for spiked azole antifungal drugs in milk. The results reveal that the developed USAE-D-µ-SPE method was a simple, rapid, efficient, environmentally friendly, and practicable method for the determination of azole antifungals in milk samples.     

Fluctuating hydrodynamic equations of mixed and of chemically reacting gases

The method of the nonlinear Langevin equation is generalized to ordinary mixed and to chemically reacting gases. The stochastic Boltzmann equations of these gases, the fluctuating hydrodynamic equations of mixed gases, and the Langevin equations for the number density of each component of a reaction-diffusion system are obtained.This work was supported financially by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The main part of the paper was written during the author's stay at the Max-Planck Institut für Festkörperforschung (Stuttgart) as a Humboldt fellow.     

Discovery of 2-aminothiazole-4-carboxamides, a novel class of muscarinic M(3) selective antagonists, through solution-phase parallel synthesis

Synthesis and structure-activity relationship of a new class of muscarinic M(3) selective antagonists were described. In the course of searching for a muscarinic M(3) antagonist with a structure distinct from those of the 2-(4,4-difluorocyclopentyl)-2-phenylacetamide derivatives, we identified a thiazole-4-carboxamide derivative (1) as a lead compound in our in-house chemical collection. Since this compound (1) showed relatively low binding affinity (K(i)=140 nM) for M(3) receptors in the human binding assays, we tried to improve its potency and selectivity for M(3) over M(1) and M(2) receptors by derivatization of 1 through a combinatorial approach. A solution-phase parallel synthesis effectively contributed to the optimization of each segment of 1. Thus, we have identified a cyclooctenylmethyl derivative (3e) and a cyclononenylmethyl derivative (3f) as representative M(3) selective antagonists in this class.     

New photochromic inorganic/organic hybrid siloxane gels with chemically bonded spirobenzopyran moiety

Transparent photochromic inorganic/organic hybrid gels involving the Chemically bonded spirobenzopyran moiety have been prepared by the sol–gel reactions using tetraethoxysilane, the silanol-terminated oligomeric poly(dimethylsiloxane), and spirobenzopyrans with the alcoxysilyl groups.     

Zeolite membrane on catalyst particles for selective formation of p-xylene in the disproportionation of toluene

The selective formation of p-xylene is shown in toluene disproportionation using a new catalyst which is surrounded with a permselective membrane.     

Incorporation of organic groups within the channel wall of spin-on mesostructured silica films by a vapor infiltration technique

Organically functionalized mesoporous silica films have been prepared by a novel synthetic procedure that involves spin-coating of mesostructured silica films and a vapor infiltration (VI) technique, using organosiloxanes, before the removal of surfactant. The VI-treated mesostructured films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurements were performed using films attached with a silicon substrate. The XRD and FE-SEM measurements show that the mesochannel wall, densified and modified with organosilyl groups by the VI treatment, hardly contracts under calcination. FE-SEM observations for the films' cross section support the view that organosiloxane vapor is not deposited on the surface of the film. These results show that organosiloxane molecules penetrate the film and are selectively incorporated into the silica wall. Thus, hydrophobic mesoporous silica films can be synthesized without a reduction in pore size, a result that cannot be attained by conventional grafting and co-condensation methods. The excellent high porosity and hydrophobicity of the mesostructured composite films may be of advantage for next-generation low-k dielectric films.     

Micropatterning of Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Coating Films from Various Tri-Functional Silicon Alkoxides with a Double Bond in Their Organic Components

Inorganic-organic hybrid coating films were prepared from various trifunctional silicon alkoxides with a C=C double bond in their organic components, such as vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES), allyltriethoxysilane (ATES) or trimethoxysilylpropylmethacrylate (TMSPM), and zirconium n-tetrapropoxide modified with methacrylic acid. UV light from a high-pressure mercury lamp was irradiated through a photomask on the hybrid films, and this irradiation increased refractive index and microhardness of the films and decreased solubility of the films in alcohol or alkaline solution. IR spectra of the coating films have shown that C=C bonds in these trifunctional silicon alkoxides were polymerized with the UV irradiation. Patterns with a width of about 10 m and thickness of about 5–15 m were formed by the etching of unirradiated region of the films. Since VTES and ATES have a shorter organic chain than TMSPM, the hybrid films prepared from VTES or ATES are expected to show small optical loss in the near-infrared region due to C—H bonds in their use as waveguides.     

Designing a capsule catalyst and its application for direct synthesis of middle isoparaffins

A catalyst in the form of a capsule catalyst was prepared by coating HZSM5 membrane on a preshaped Co/SiO2 catalyst pellet. The capsule catalyst with HZSM5 membrane exhibited excellent selectivity for light hydrocarbon synthesis, especially for isoparaffin synthesis from syngas (CO + H2). Long-chain hydrocarbon formation was totally suppressed by the zeolite membrane. The modification of membrane and core catalyst significantly improved the catalytic properties of these new kinds of capsule catalysts.