Pressure generation at the junction of two microchannels with different depths

In this study, we report the design of a microchip‐based hydraulic pump that comprises three glass conduits arranged in a T‐geometry, one of which has a 2 mm long segment shallower (0.5–3 μm in depth) than the remaining 15 μm deep microfluidic network. Upon application of an electric field across this microchannel junction, a mismatch in EOF rate is introduced due to a differential in the fluid conductivity across the deep and shallow segments. Using the reported micropump, pressure‐driven velocities up to 3.2 mm/s have been generated in a 15 μm deep separation channel for an applied voltage of 1.75 kV allowing us to operate under separation conditions that yield the minimum plate height. Moreover, we have shown that this flow velocity can be maximized by optimizing the depth in the shallow region of the T‐geometry. Interestingly however, a simple theory accounting for fluid conductivity differences across microchannels of different depths significantly underestimates the pressure‐driven velocities observed in our experiments. The Taylor dispersion coefficient in our system on the other hand compares well with the theoretical predictions reported in the literature. Finally, the functionality of our device has been demonstrated by implementing a reverse‐phase chromatographic separation that was driven by the pressure‐driven flow generated on‐chip.     

One-Pot Preparation of 1-Substituted Imidazole-2-thione from Isothiocyanate and Amino Acetal

Isothiocyanates were treated with amino acetal and conc. HCl (0.5 eq.) successively in one-pot to afford 1-substituted imidazole-2-thiones in good yields.     

Polarographic study on poly alpha-L-glutamic acid-Cd2+,Co2+ complexes in the helix-coil pH region

Interactions between poly alpha- L-glutamic acid (PGA) and metal ions Cd(2+), Co(2+) were studied by direct current polarography. The diffusion currents of these ions decreased sharply in the presence of PGA in the pH region from 5.0 through neutral. A corresponding increase in the helix content of the PGA-metal ion complex was revealed by CD measurements on the same solutions. Helix contents determined by polarography were in good agreement with those by CD in the neutral pH region. On the contrary, the decrease of current in lower acidic pH regions was independent of helix formation and suggested that metal ions coordinate to sporadically-dissociated carboxylate groups to cause aggregation of the intra and/or inter polymer chains. The diffusion current of the ions, therefore, is a parameter sensitive to the conformational changes of PGA from acidic through neutral pH region.     

Direct growth of comet-like superstructures of Au-ZnO submicron rod arrays by solvothermal soft chemistry process

The synthesis, characterization and proposed growth process of a new kind of comet-like Au-ZnO superstructures are described here. This Au-ZnO superstructure was directly created by a simple and mild solvothermal reaction, dissolving the reactants of zinc acetate dihydrate and hydrogen tetrachloroaurate tetrahydrate (HAuCl₄·4H₂O) in ethylenediamine and taking advantage of the lattice matching growth between definitized ZnO plane and Au plane and the natural growth habit of the ZnO rods along [001] direction in solutions. For a typical comet-like Au-ZnO superstructure, its comet head consists of one hemispherical end of a central thick ZnO rod and an outer Au-ZnO thin layer, and its comet tail consists of radially standing ZnO submicron rod arrays growing on the Au-ZnO thin layer. These ZnO rods have diameters in range of 0.2-0.5 μm, an average aspect ratio of about 10, and lengths of up to about 4 μm. The morphology, size and structure of the ZnO superstructures are dependent on the concentration of reactants and the reaction time. The HAuCl₄·4H₂O plays a key role for the solvothermal growth of the comet-like superstructure, and only are ZnO fibers obtained in absence of the HAuCl₄·4H₂O. The UV-vis absorption spectrum shows two absorptions at 365-390 nm and 480-600 nm, respectively attributing to the characteristic of the ZnO wide-band semiconductor material and the surface plasmon resonance of the Au particles.     

TEMPO-mediated Oxidation of Native Cellulose: SEC–MALLS Analysis of Water-soluble and -Insoluble Fractions in the Oxidized Products

Linter cellulose was suspended in water and oxidized by the NaClO/NaBr/2,2,6,6-tetramehylpiperidine-1-oxy radical (TEMPO) system at pH 10.5 (TEMPO-mediated oxidation), and the oxidized products were separated into several fractions by filtration and centrifugation, depending on their particle sizes and apparent water-solubility. The major fraction (>ca. 80 mass % of the original linter cellulose) is the filter paper-trapped fibers, which can form inter-fiber hemiacetal linkages when handsheets are prepared thereof. Size-exclusion chromatographic analysis with multi-angle laser light scattering detection (SEC–MALLS) of these fibrous fractions dissolved in 0.5% LiCl/N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) showed that some depolymerization occurred on cellulose chains during the TEMPO-mediated oxidation. On the other hand, the apparently water-soluble fractions (<ca. 20 mass % of the original linter cellulose) in the TEMPO-oxidized linter cellulose consisted of small amounts of colloidal particles having the cellulose I crystal structure, which came off from linter cellulose by the TEMPO-mediated oxidation and were mixed in the apparently water-soluble fraction even after filtration using 0.45 μm membrane. The presence of such colloidal cellulose crystals in the water-soluble fractions of the TEMPO-oxidized linter cellulose brings about anomalous bimodal SEC-elution patterns and extremely large molecular-mass values calculated from the SEC–MALLS data. Truly water-soluble cellouronic acid and/or over-oxidized compounds having glucuronic acid and hexeneuronic acid units are also present in the water-soluble fractions.     

Transfer of technetium in the soil-rice plant system

In order to assess the behavior of Tc in flooded soil-plant systems, laboratory experiments have been done using^95mTc as a tracer. Two common soil types in Japan, Andosol and Gray lowland soils, were used. Soil-plant transfer factors of Tc in rice grain were very low, i.e. 5×10^–5 for Andosol and 6×10^–4 for Gray lowland soil. It was found that the Tc concentrations in rice plants were influenced by those in soil solutions. Concentrations of^95mTc in both soil solutions decreased rapidly in the early period of cultivation. It was observed that redox-potential (Eh) also decreased markedly following flooding. A relationship was found between the decrease of the^95mTc concentrations in soil solutions and the drop of Eh in the soils. The Tc (VII) added to soil was transformed to insoluble Tc (IV) under the reduced conditions existing in flooded soil.     

Intramolecular Substitution Reaction of Alkylidene‐Lithium Carbenoids: Regioselective Synthesis of Indenes

Intramolecular substitution reaction of geminal dibromo alkenes proceeds to afford indenes, dihydronaphthalenes, dihydrofurans, and dihydropyran via in situ generated lithium alkylidene carbenoids, which have a carbon or oxygen nucleophilic moiety. This reaction provides a regioselective method for the preparation of polysubstituted indenes.     

All-solid-state high-power conduction-cooled Nd:YLF rod laser

A high-average-power conduction-cooled diode-pumped Nd:YLF rod laser has been developed. A new conduction-cooled side-pumping scheme with a solid prismatic pump-light confinement cavity was employed. A transparent, high-thermal-conductivity MgF>(2) prism was used as a highly efficient pump cavity as well as a low-thermal-resistance heat spreader. The pumping efficiency and thermal resistance of the cavity were 85% and 0.20 degrees C degrees W, respectively. When this scheme was combined with heat pipes for heat removal, a maximum average output power of 72 W was demonstrated, with an optical slope efficiency as high as 49%.