A mechanism for securing tubes in a fixed position is described wherein a body to which a tube is to be fixed has at least one smooth bore hole extending therethrough. A tube has an inner diameter accommodating fluid flow and an outer diameter passing through the smooth bore hole in slip fit relation with the smooth bore of the hole. A threaded hole with helical grooves is parallel to the smooth bore hole and located such that its grooves intersect the diameter of the smooth bore hole. A set screw made of a tougher material than the tube has threads that will seat in the threaded hole in a manner such that advancing the set screw scratches the outer diameter of the tube to a depth wherein the set screw retains the tube in place without deformation of the inner diameter of the tube whereby fluid flow in the tube is not affected by advancement of the set screw while the tube is retained in place by the set screw. The invention can connect tubes in all sorts of patterns with many center-to-center tube distances.

A mechanism for securing tubes in a fixed position is described wherein a body to which a tube is to be fixed has at least one smooth bore hole extending therethrough. A tube has an inner diameter accommodating fluid flow and an outer diameter passing through the smooth bore hole in slip fit relation with the smooth bore of the hole. A threaded hole with helical grooves is parallel to the smooth bore hole and located such that its grooves intersect the diameter of the smooth bore hole. A set screw made of a tougher material than the tube has threads that will seat in the threaded hole in a manner such that advancing the set screw scratches the outer diameter of the tube to a depth wherein the set screw retains the tube in place without deformation of the inner diameter of the tube whereby fluid flow in the tube is not affected by advancement of the set screw while the tube is retained in place by the set screw. The invention can connect tubes in all sorts of patterns with many center-to-center tube distances.

The present invention relates to a method of reducing the deposit of metallic transition metal, particularly palladium, on a metal part in hydrogenation reactions using hydrogen and a heterogenous supported palladium catalyst. These metallic transition metal deposit, particularly palladium deposits, are particularly formed at areas which are exposed to high velocity and shear forces of the hydrogenation mixture comprising the transition metal catalyst, particularly palladium catalyst. They are significantly reduced or even avoided when the surface of the respective metal parts are coated by a plasma sprayed ceramic coating.

To provide a continuous production apparatus and a continuous production method for an aromatic polymer which enable resource conservation, energy conservation, and equipment costs reduction. A continuous production method for an aromatic polymer having an ether bond or an imide bond, the method including: (a) supplying a polymerization solvent and a reaction raw material to a continuous production apparatus including a plurality of reaction vessels; (b) performing a polycondensation reaction in the polymerization solvent in at least one of the reaction vessels to form a reaction mixture; and (c) successively moving the reaction mixture to each of the reaction vessel, the steps (a), (b), and (c) being performed in parallel; wherein an ether bond or an imide bond is formed by the polycondensation reaction; respective gas phase parts of the plurality of reaction vessels communicate with one another; and a pressure of each of the gas phase parts is uniform.

A high-density micro-chamber array has a translucent flat substrate, a hydrophobic layer in which a plurality of micro-chambers are provided, and a lipid bilayer membrane formed in each of the openings of the micro-chambers, wherein an electrode is provided in each of the micro-chambers, and when the side of the substrate on which the hydrophobic layer is provided is directed upward, the micro-chamber array is configured such that with at least one of the following A) and B) being met, light entering the substrate from below is transmitted through the substrate and penetrates into the micro-chambers' interiors, and light entering the substrate from the micro-chambers' interiors is transmitted through the substrate and escapes toward below the substrate. A) The electrode is provided on an inner side surface of each of the micro-chambers. B) The electrode is transparent and provided on a bottom surface of each of the micro-chambers.

An apparatus and system for contacting a mobile elongate solid phase, e.g. a ribbon with a flowing fluid phase, and a method for using the same in, for example solid phase synthesis. A particular apparatus comprises (i) a conduit which is of circular or non-circular transverse cross section and which defines a lumen to contain both the flowing fluid phase and the mobile elongate solid phase; (ii) fluid phase ports in communication with the lumen to allow the fluid phase to enter the lumen, flow through it and exit it; and (iii) solid phase ports in communication with the lumen to allow the mobile solid phase to enter the lumen, move through it and exit it, the apparatus being adapted to prevent fluid egress from its interior through the solid phase ports.

To provide a continuous production apparatus and a continuous production method for an aromatic polymer which enable resource conservation, energy conservation, and equipment costs reduction. A continuous production method for an aromatic polymer having an ether bond or an imide bond, the method including: (a) supplying a polymerization solvent and a reaction raw material to a continuous production apparatus including a plurality of reaction vessels; (b) performing a polycondensation reaction in the polymerization solvent in at least one of the reaction vessels to form a reaction mixture; and (c) successively moving the reaction mixture to each of the reaction vessel, the steps (a), (b), and (c) being performed in parallel; wherein an ether bond or an imide bond is formed by the polycondensation reaction; respective gas phase parts of the plurality of reaction vessels communicate with one another; and a pressure of each of the gas phase parts is uniform.

Methods to fabricate tightly packed arrays of nanoparticles are disclosed, without relying on organic ligands or a substrate. In some variations, a method of assembling particles into an array comprises dispersing particles in a liquid solution; introducing a triggerable pH-control substance capable of generating an acid or a base; and triggering the pH-control substance to generate an acid or a base within the liquid solution, thereby titrating the pH. During pH titration, the particle-surface charge magnitude is reduced, causing the particles to assemble into a particle array. Other variations provide a device for assembling particles into particle arrays, comprising a droplet-generating microfluidic region; a first-fluid inlet port; a second-fluid inlet port; a reaction microfluidic region, disposed in fluid communication with the droplet-generating microfluidic region; and a trigger source configured to trigger generation of an acid or a base from at least one pH-control substance contained within the reaction microfluidic region.

A method for forming a lipid membrane vesicle includes: filling a chamber with a first aqueous solution by introducing it to a liquid flow path facing a microreactor chip hydrophobic layer main surface; forming a first lipid monolayer membrane in an opening part of the chamber filled with the solution; forming a second lipid monolayer membrane on a layer interface of the organic solvent formed on the main surface of the hydrophobic layer with a second aqueous solution by introducing the solution to the liquid flow path; allowing a first aqueous solution form in the chamber to alter to a spherical droplet covered with the first lipid monolayer membrane; and forming a lipid membrane vesicle by moving the droplet to a position of the second lipid monolayer membrane by applying a physical action, and by zipping the first lipid monolayer membrane covering the droplet and the second lipid monolayer membrane.

A material film is formed as a thin film having a thickness of 1 m on a surface of a glass substrate. A plurality of micro-chambers having a diameter of 5 m are formed in the material film to be arrayed at a high density. The respective chambers filled with an aqueous test solution have openings that are liquid-sealed by a lipid bilayer membrane to provide a high-density micro-chamber array. Significant downsizing of the micro-chambers enhances a change in concentration by a reaction of one biomolecule in the chamber and thereby increases the detection sensitivity. In the configuration that a large number of micro-chambers are formed at a high density, even in the case of an extremely slow reaction of the biomolecule, the reaction proceeds in any of the chambers. This configuration accordingly enables the reaction of the biomolecule to be detected with high sensitivity.