Disclosed is a method for preparing -phenylethanol. The method comprises the following steps: (1) reducing a catalyst in a reactor in advance; (2) introducing pre-heated hydrogen gas to warm the reactor to a predetermined temperature; and (3) introducing a raw material styrene oxide to perform a hydrogenation reaction so as to obtain the -phenylethanol. The catalyst is NiCu/Al.sub.2O.sub.3 nanosized self-assembled catalyst. The reactor is an ultrasonic field micro-packed bed reactor. The method of the present invention enables the selectivity of the -phenylethanol to reach 99% or more.

The invention generally provides systems and methods for producing a chemical product. In certain embodiments, the invention provides systems that include a chemical product production unit. The chemical production unit includes a plurality of microfluidic modules configured to be fluidically coupled to each other in an arrangement that produces a chemical product from an input of a plurality of starting reagents that react with each other due to conditions within the plurality of microfluidic modules through which the starting reagents flow. The system also includes a droplet dispenser fluidically coupled to the chemical product production unit that forms and dispenses droplets of the chemical product.

A methanol production system of the present disclosure includes: a reformer including a reaction furnace configured to reform methane in a raw material gas to produce a reformed gas containing CO and H.sub.2; a reduced-gas generator configured to reduce CO.sub.2 to produce a reduced gas containing CO; and a methanol-containing gas generator configured to produce a methanol-containing gas which contains methanol from a reformed gas produced in the reaction furnace and a reduced gas produced in the reduced-gas generator.

A microfluidic chip device for the purification of radiochemical compounds includes a chip having an injection channel and intersecting branch channels with a plurality of valves are located along the injection channel and branch channels and configured to retain a plug of solution containing the radiochemical compound. The chip further includes a serpentine channel segment (for separation) coupled to the output of the injection channel. A high voltage power source advances the plug of solution through the purification region and into the downstream fraction collection channel. The chip includes a downstream fraction collection channel coupled to the serpentine channel segment and having an optical and radiation detection regions. One or more branch fraction channels intersect with the fraction collection channel and include valves located therein so that the radiochemical compound that is detected using a radiation detector is directed into the desired branch fraction channel for subsequent use.

The present disclosure relates to the production of platelets from megakaryocytes (Mks). In particular, the present disclosure provides systems and methods for the in vitro production of platelets from Mks using a microfluidic bioreactor having a center flow channel and uniform high-shear micrometer slits. Use of this microfluidic bioreactor enables the continuous production of millions of platelets and facilitates real-time and long-term visualization of proplatelet and platelet generation.

A method of manufacturing core-shell particles comprises: filling a buffer into a rotor, which is extended in a longitudinal direction, and is accommodated so as to be spaced apart from an inner wall side of a non-rotational hollow cylinder extended in a longitudinal direction and then discharging air to outside; rotating the rotor after terminating the filling; forming a core-shell precursor by supplying raw materials from a first storage and a second storage, which comprise a material forming a core, into an interior of the cylinder in which the rotor rotates; supplying a shell material for coating the core to the interior of the cylinder in which a core-type precursor is formed; separating a liquid comprising core-shell particles formed through the supplying into a solid and a liquid; and drying the core-shell particles obtained through the separating.

A method of separating a plurality of particles (14) from a portion of fluid, comprising directing the plurality of particles (14) into a microchannel (12). A first portion (16) of particles (14) is focused into an equilibrium position in the microchannel (12). The focused first portion (16) is directed into a first outlet (18) aligned with the equilibrium position. A portion of the fluid is directed into one or more outlets (20, 22). A microfluidic device (10) for separating a plurality of particles (14) from a portion of fluid, comprising a microchannel (12) having a first aspect ratio and a length L, thereby focusing the particles (14) directed therein into an equilibrium position in the microchannel, wherein at least a first portion (16) of the particles (14) focuses at distance X from a beginning of the microchannel (12). A first outlet (18) disposed after distance X and aligned with the equilibrium position to receive at least the first portion (16) of the particles (14) after the first portion (16) focuses into an equilibrium position in the microchannel (12). At least a second outlet (20) for receiving a second portion of the particles (14) before the second portion focuses into an equilibrium position.

A micro-reaction device for preparing biodiesel by base catalysis includes a feeding system, a micro-reaction apparatus, and a separation apparatus. The feeding system is in communication with the micro-reaction apparatus, and the micro-reaction apparatus is in communication with the separation apparatus; the micro-reaction apparatus includes a micro-reactor, and the micro-reactor is a micro-dispersion micro-reactor; in the micro-reaction apparatus, an oil phase and short chain alcohols undergo an ester exchange reaction under base catalysis to generate fatty acid esters and by-product glycerol; and the micro-dispersion reactor is provided with a micro-dispersion structure for dispersing the short chain alcohols into micro-droplets. By the solution of the present application, the intrinsic safety of a process is improved, the reaction time is greatly shortened, the resistance to material flow is lower, the system operating pressure is low, and the single-channel treatment capacity is large, which is 10-500 times that of a micro-channel reactor.

Apparatuses and methods are described herein for processing polynucleotides in a sealed path environment. The apparatuses include optical sensors to monitor operations and to track material usage for good manufacturing practice.

A general-purpose software-reconfigurable chemical process system useful in a wide range of applications is disclosed. Embodiments may include software control of internal processes, automated provisions for cleaning internal elements with solvents, provisions for clearing and drying gasses, and multitasking operation. In one family of embodiments, a flexible software-reconfigurable multipurpose reusable Lab-on-a-Chip or embedded chemical processor is realized that can facilitate a wide range of applications, instruments, and appliances. Through use of a general architecture, a single design can be economically manufactured in large scale and readily adapted to diverse specialized applications. Clearing and cleaning provisions may be used to facilitate reuse of the device, or may be used for decontamination prior to recycling or non-reclaimed disposal. In other embodiments, a flexible software-reconfigurable multipurpose reusable laboratory glassware setup may be realized, sparing talented laboratory staff from repetitive, complex, or low-level tasks occurring in analysis, synthesis, or small-scale chemical manufacturing.