Different AuPd nanoparticles, ranging from sharp-branched octopods to core@shell octahedra, can be achieved by inline manipulation of reagent flowrates in a microreactor for seeded growth. Significantly, these structures represent different kinetic products, demonstrating an inline control strategy toward kinetic nanoparticle products that should be generally applicable.

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.

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.

Described is a combination method, including a device and system for disinfecting and decontaminating water lines, for example, dental water lines, in the absence of a primary chemical component.

In mixing of raw materials having different flow rate ratios (volume ratios) (different flow rates), in order to achieve a good mixing effect, the present invention includes: for raw materials having different flow rates, a high-flow-rate side flow path (102) through which a raw material on a high-flow-rate side flows; a low-flow-rate side flow path (103) through which a raw material on a low-flow-rate side flows; branch flow paths (102a, 102b) which are branched from the high-flow-rate side flow path; and a residence flow path (104) which is a flow path after the branch flow paths (102a, 102b) and the low-flow-rate side flow path (103) merge. The branch flow path (102a) and the branch flow path (102b) merge in a way of sandwiching the low-flow-rate side flow path (103).

A method comprises enabling epoxy vegetable oil to react with a compound of a formula III in a second microstructured reactor to obtain the vegetable oil polyol. Compared with the existing technology, the present invention adopts a novel, environment-friendly ring-opening agent, the obtained polyol is novel in structure, high in hydroxyl value, even in distribution and low in viscosity, and can completely replace traditional petrochemical polyol to be applied to the preparation of polyurethane foam materials.

A polyurethane polyol, and a preparation method and application thereof. The method comprises the following steps: (1) carrying out a reaction on phosphorus oxychloride, epichlorohydrin, a first acidic catalyst and an inert solvent in a first microchannel reactor to obtain a chloroalkoxy phosphorus compound; (2) carrying out a reaction on the chloroalkoxy phosphorus compound, glycidol, a second acidic catalyst and an inert solvent in a second microchannel reactor to obtain a hydroxy compound; (3) carrying out a ring-opening reaction on the hydroxy compound, epoxy vegetable oil, a basic catalyst and an inert solvent in a third microchannel reactor to obtain a vegetable oil polyol; and (4) carrying out an addition polymerization reaction on the vegetable oil polyol, propylene oxide and an inert solvent in a fourth microchannel reactor to obtain the polyurethane polyol.

The invention provides methods and systems for water dissociation with microplasma generated in microchannel plasma arrays or chips. Preferred methods and systems introduce water vapor into a microchannel plasma array. Electrical power is applied to the microchannel plasma array to create a plasma chemical reaction of the water vapor in the microchannel plasma array. Dissociated hydrogen and/or oxygen gas is collected at an output of the microchannel plasma array. The water vapor can be entrained in a carrier gas, but is preferably introduced without carrier gas. Direct introduction of water vapor has been demonstrated to provide efficiencies at an above 60%. The use of carrier gas reduces efficiency, but still exceeds efficiencies of prior methods discussed in the background.

A software-controlled triangle-topology valve-cluster for use at taps or conduit junction points that facilitate fluid-based clearing, gas-based clearing, solvent-based cleaning, gas drying, small-volume burst formation, abandoned-material return, and other valuable operations is disclosed. The invention provides better contamination performance than simple passive or valve-chaperoned T-topology junctions. The valve-cluster arrangement can be implemented or approximated in various ways. For faster performance, simplified programming, or other reasons macro controllability can be provided for operating groups of valves in one or more of simultaneous operation, time-defined sequenced operation, or conditional operation, and such macros can further provide for conditional inputs or parameters. Such macro, conditional-macro, and parameterized-macro control could be implemented in software, firmware, and/or hard-wired logic. The invention can be used in reusable or reconfigurable microfluidic systems, facilitate decontaminated and green disposal and recycling of microfluidics, and other fluidic applications. Features of the invention can also be extended to gas transport.

Although most contemporary and envisioned microfluidic systems are entirely passive or have limited control capabilities, future microfluidic systems require detailed sequenced control of valves and other elements. For this software-control of transport and processes for microfluidic systems under the control of temporal and/or event-driven scripts, script authoring and editing, functional libraries, and other development tools for process and configuration control are proposed with intent towards future standardization. Scripts can respond to external inputs and can comprise conditional-logic, temporal-logic, calculations, hierarchical structure, subroutines, macros, multi-thread and parallel execution operations, procedural calls, interrupts, real-time regulatory control calculations, and element resource allocation.

Scripts can be executed by a script reader, responsive to incoming signals and information, to produce temporal control sequences for operating microfluidic devices, emulation hardware, simulation software, process visualization, etc.

Script authoring/editing tools and readers can record and store information, and can interface to with commercial software, systems, languages, and protocols.