Disclosed herein is a synthetic method, apparatus, and system for the continuous-flow synthesis of 3,4-dinitropyrazole from pyrazole in a microfluidic environment. This synthetic strategy consist of three (3) synthetic steps, including (1) N-nitration of pyrazole, (2) thermal rearrangement into 3-nitropyrazole, and (3) 4-nitration of 3-nitropyrazole. The current technique produces 3,4-dinitropyrazole in yields up to 85% in particular embodiments, in comparison to 40-50% yields demonstrated by the current state of-the-art batch process for large scale synthesis from pyrazole.

Parallel uses of microfluidic methods and devices for focusing and/or forming discontinuous sections of similar or dissimilar size in a fluid are described. In some aspects, the present invention relates generally to flow-focusing-type technology, and also to microfluidics, and more particularly parallel use of microfluidic systems arranged to control a dispersed phase within a dispersant, and the size, and size distribution, of a dispersed phase in a multi-phase fluid system, and systems for delivery of fluid components to multiple such devices.

A flow reactor system and methods having tubing useful as polymerization chamber. The flow reactor has at least one inlet and at least one mixing chamber, and an outlet. The method includes providing two phases, an aqueous phase and a non-aqueous phase and forming an emulsion for introduction into the flow reactor.

Systems and methods for dispensing a liquid on a substrate are disclosed. The system may be used to coat a substrate and/or a sample (e.g., a biological sample) with a liquid. The system includes a rotating device configured to rotate about an axis and a substrate disposed on the rotating device. The substrate comprises a well configured to hold a liquid and the substrate is positioned on a surface of the rotating device perpendicular to and concentric with the axis. The system further includes a liquid handler configured to dispense the liquid into the well. The rotating device is configured to rotate at a speed sufficient to disperse the liquid within the well.

The present disclosure provides a supercritical fluid gasification system. In some embodiments, the system includes a reactor having a reactor shell including sidewalls that extend between a top reactor cover and a bottom reactor cover, where the sidewalls, the top cover, and the bottom cover enclosing a reactor shell channel. In some embodiments, the reactor includes a thermal shield positioned within the reactor shell channel, the thermal shield having sidewalls that extend between a top thermal shield cover and a bottom thermal shield cover, where the sidewalls, the top thermal shield cover, and the bottom thermal shield cover enclosing a thermal shield channel. In some embodiments, the reactor includes a fluid feed supply conduit in fluid communication with the thermal shield channel, a supercritical fluid conduit in fluid communication with the thermal shield channel, and a product conduit in fluid communication with the thermal shield channel.

A planar flow reactor includes a straight planar process channel, a flow generator, and a plurality of static mixing elements disposed within the process channel. The flow generator is configured to generate a pulsatile flow within the process channel, and the static mixing elements are configured to locally split and recombine the flow. The straight planar process channel enables the generation of a flow pattern that is largely independent of the width of the process channel, meaning that the throughput may be increased by increasing the width without significantly affecting the residence time distribution or the flow behavior. Furthermore, by creating a pulsatile flow within the process channel, turbulence and/or chaotic fluid flows may be generated even at low net flow rates, i.e. low net Reynolds numbers.

The present invention generally relates to microfluidics, and, in particular, to systems and methods for coalescing or fusing droplets. In certain aspects, two or more droplets within a microfluidic channel are brought together and caused to coalesce without using electric fields or charges. For example, in certain embodiments, droplets stabilized with a surfactant may be disrupted, e.g., by exposing the droplets to a solvent able to alter the surfactant, which may partially destabilize the droplets and allow them to coalesce. In some instances, the droplets may also be physically disrupted to facilitate coalesce. In addition, in some cases, the positions of one or more droplets may be controlled within a channel using a groove in a wall of the channel. For example, a droplet may at least partially enter the groove such that the position of the droplet is at least partially controlled by the groove.

The invention generally relates to assemblies for displacing droplets from a vessel that facilitate the collection and transfer of the droplets while minimizing sample loss. In certain aspects, the assembly includes at least one droplet formation module, in which the module is configured to form droplets surrounded by an immiscible fluid. The assembly also includes at least one chamber including an outlet, in which the chamber is configured to receive droplets and an immiscible fluid, and in which the outlet is configured to receive substantially only droplets. The assembly further includes a channel, configured such that the droplet formation module and the chamber are in fluid communication with each other via the channel. In other aspects, the assembly includes a plurality of hollow members, in which the hollow members are channels and in which the members are configured to interact with a vessel. The plurality of hollow members includes a first member configured to expel a fluid immiscible with droplets in the vessel and a second member configured to substantially only droplets from the vessel. The assembly also includes a main channel, in which the second member is in fluid communication with the main channel. The assembly also includes at least one analysis module connected to the main channel.

An apparatus includes a substrate having a recess and a multitude of particles arranged in the recess. A first portion of the particles is joined to a porous structure by means of a coating. A second portion of the particles is not joined by means of the coating. The first portion of the particles is arranged closer to an opening of the recess than the second portion of the particles so that a leaking of the second portion of the particles from the recess through the opening is prevented.

A flow reactor system and methods having tubing useful as polymerization chamber. The flow reactor has at least one inlet and at least one mixing chamber, and an outlet. The method includes providing two phases, an aqueous phase and a non-aqueous phase and forming an emulsion for introduction into the flow reactor.