A simplified PDMS microfluidic device with a built-in suction actuator for rapid production of monodisperse water-in-oil droplets

We previously established an automatic droplet-creation technique that only required air evacuation of a PDMS microfluidic device prior to use. Although the rate of droplet production with this technique was originally slow (∼10 droplets per second), this was greatly improved (∼470 droplets per second) in our recent study by remodeling the original device configuration. This improvement was realized by the addition of a degassed PDMS layer with a large surface area-to-volume ratio that served as a powerful vacuum generator. However, the incorporation of the additional PDMS layer (which was separate from the microfluidic PDMS layer itself) into the device required reversible bonding of five different layers. In the current study, we aimed to simplify the device architecture by reducing the number of constituent layers for enhancing usability of this microfluidic droplet generator while retaining its rapid production rate. The new device consisted of three layers. This comprised a degassed PDMS slab with microfluidic channels on one surface and tens of thousands of vacuum-generating micropillars on the other surface, which was simply sandwiched by PMMA layers. Despite its simplified configuration, this new device created monodisperse droplets at an even faster rate (>1000 droplets per second).     

Noncatalytic organic rearrangement using supercritical water

Abstract

Significant acceleration of Beckmam and pinacol rearrangements can be achieved by using supercritical water (scH₂O), especially just near the critical point even in the absence of any acid catalysts. A high-pressure, high-temperature flow reactor system with FTlR operable at 500°C and 50 MPa was suaxssfdy developed, wherein the non-catalytic Beckmam and pinacol rearrangements using scH₂O were carried out and monitored. It has been demonstrated that scH₂0 itself acts very effectively in the place of conventional acid catalysts for both the rearrangements. The rate of the pinacol rearrangement using scH₂O is 28,200-fold rate of that in 0.871 M HCl solution at 46.7 MPa under distillation conditions. The high rate of reaction may be attributed to a great increase in the local proton concentration around the organic reactants.     

One-pot dehydrogenation of carboxylic acid derivatives to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds under mild conditions

Carboxylic acid derivatives such as N-acyl-2-oxazolidones, δ-lactones, and δ-lactams were smoothly dehydrogenated to the corresponding α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds in one-pot manner at −78 °C just by treating their lithium enolates with N-tert-butylbenzenesulfinimidoyl chloride.     

X-ray visualization of carbon-particle oxidation process in supercritical water

A real-time X-ray visualization system for low X-ray absorption materials has been developed. The system is mainly composed of a multi-color scintillator based image intensifier and a real-time image-processing unit. The color image intensifier has such advantages as the high sensitivity, the wide dynamic range and the long lifetime over the conventional one. The dynamic imaging of low X-ray absorption materials was realized by the video-rate image subtraction function of the image processor. The system has been successfully applied for an observation of a carbon-particle oxidation process in supercritical water. The low X-ray absorption difference between carbon and supercritical water, surrounded by high X-ray absorption metal wall, is one of the most difficult objects to get good image. In our system, the carbon-particle image was taken at a 30 frame/sec video-rate by continuously subtracting the background image until at the instance of the carbon-particle disappearance by oxidation.     

Capture of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons by aqueous solutions of branched cyclodextrins

The use of aqueous solutions of branched cyclodextrins was examined in order to develop an effective method of capturing toxic volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene and monochlorobenzene. From the experiments in which trichloroethylene diluted with nitrogen gas came into contact with aqueous solutions of branched cyclodextrin mixtures, it was found that absorption could be performed without the formation of inclusion complex solids, which should simplify the whole process of absorption and recovery.     

Use of Isopropanol as a Modifier in a Hexane-Acetonitrile Based Mobile Phase for the Silver Ion HPLC Separation of Positional Isomers of Triacylglycerols Containing Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

A high resolution approach to silver ion HPLC was studied for the separation of positional isomers of triacylglycerols (TAGs) containing long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) in enzymatically synthesized structured TAGs. Isopropanol was used as a novel modifier in a hexane-acetonitrile based mobile phase for silver ion HPLC. Peak identification was based on HPLC-mass spectroscopy and selectivities of lipases. Positional isomers of TAGs containing one molecule of EPA, DHA, or DPA with saturated fatty acids (FAs) such as caprylic acid and palmitic acid were separated within 13 min using a gradient of hexane-isopropanol-acetonitrile as mobile phase. TAGs containing two or more EPA, DHA, or DPA were also separated from each other within 25 min, but their positional isomers were unresolved. The retention characteristics of the TAG were found to be related to the number of carbon atoms in the FAs present in addition to the number of double bonds and their isomeric configuration. One isomer with an unsaturated FA in the sn-2 position eluted faster than the other with the unsaturated FA in the sn-1 or 3 position. Species with longer chain FAs attached to TAGs with the same degree of unsaturation eluted faster than those that have shorter chain FAs. For example, docosapentaenoylhexadecanoyloctanoin (DPA/C16/C8) was eluted faster than dioctanoyldocosapentaenoin (DPA/C8/C8).     

Composition analysis of positional isomers of phosphatidylinositol by high-performance liquid chromatography

An HPLC-based method has been developed for composition analysis of six positional isomers of phosphatidylinositol (PI), of which the phosphatidyl group was connected to different positions of the myo-inositol moiety. The method employed a combination of two types of HPLC analyses. One was direct separation of the six PI isomers into four peaks of 1(3)-PI, 2-PI, 4(6)-PI and 5-PI on a normal-phase silica gel column. The second method was for the separations of 1-PI from 3-PI and 4-PI from 6-PI, which were not separable on the normal-phase column. This method involved conversion of PI isomers into pentakis-(R)-1-phenylethylcarbamate (PEC) derivatives, which were separated on a reversed-phase column. Using the established method, positional specificity of several engineered phospholipases D in enzymatic synthesis of PI from myo-inositol and phosphatidylcholine was investigated. This was performed by analyzing the isomeric composition of PIs synthesized by the mutant enzymes. Among five mutant enzymes tested, two showed strong specificity to 1-OH, one showed moderate preference to 1-OH, one preferred 3-OH, and one showed broad specificity towards 1-, 3-, 4- and 6-OH.     

Fabrication of fluorocarbon polymer-coated silver hollow-glass waveguides for the infrared by the liquid-phase coating method

Fluorocarbon polymer-coated silver hollow-glass waveguides have been fabricated based on the method of silver mirror reaction for silver, and the dipping method for the fluorocarbon polymer. The waveguides show low-loss properties for the infrared wavelengths except for the wavelength regions of large absorption of the polymer. Er:YAG laser light has been successfully transmitted through the flexible waveguides with small bending losses.