Harvard College

Basf Se Corporation

Raindance Technologies, Inc.

Basf Corporation

Christian Holtze

David A Weitz

Adam R Abate

Ahmad Moini

Marc Fricke

John Brian Hutchison

Wolfgang Gaschler

Claudius Kormann

Ivan Petrovic

Andreas Emge

Daniel Freidank

Nils Mohmeyer

Assaf Rotem

Sonja Judat

Markus Schütte

Robert Engel

Daeyeon Lee

Bettina Zoellner

Thao Do

Amber T Krummel

Thorsten Martin Staudt

Frank Bartels

Zeolites, improved methods for their synthesis, and catalysts, systems, and methods of using these zeolites as catalysts are described. The method of synthesis of the zeolites includes forming a mixture including a zeolitic precursor material and a structure directing agent and subjecting the mixture to high shear processing conditions.

Zeolite materials and methods of manufacture

The invention relates to oil-in-water emulsions based on fatty alcohols and mono- or diesters of glycerol and the use thereof as antifoams or deaerators for aqueous compositions. The oil phase of the emulsions according to the invention consists to at least 95% by weight of the following constituents: a) 40 to 95% by weight, based on the total weight of the oil phase, of a mixture of at least two alcohols as component A, consisting of: a1) at least one alkanol having 12 to 30 carbon atoms as component A1, a2) at least one mono- or diester of glycerol with at least one fatty acid having 14 to 24 carbon atoms as component A2; b) 0.1 to 10% by weight, based on the total weight of the oil phase, of at least one further component B, which is selected from esters of C-C-alkanecarboxylic acids with polyglycerol, amides of C-C-alkanecarboxylic acids with alkylenediamines or oligoalkyleneamines, and esters of C-C-alkanecarboxylic acids with C-C-alkanols, and mixtures thereof, c) 4.9 to 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the oil phase, of at least one further component C, which is selected from organic substances which are liquid at 50&#xb0; C. and 1013 mbar, at atmospheric pressure have a boiling point above 200&#xb0; C., and at 25&#xb0; C. and 1013 mbar have a solubility in water of less than 0.1 g/l.

Oil-in-water emulsions

The present invention generally relates to emulsions, and more particularly, to double and other multiple emulsions. Certain aspects of the present invention are generally directed to the creation of double emulsions and other multiple emulsions at a common junction of microfluidic channels. In some cases, the microfluidic channels at the common junction may have substantially the same hydrophobicity. In one set of embodiments, a device may include a common junction of six or more channels, where a first fluid flows through one channel, a second fluid flows through two channels, and a third or carrying fluid flows through two more channels, such that a double emulsion of a first droplet of the first fluid, contained in a second droplet of the second fluid, contained by the carrying fluid, flows away from the common junction through a sixth channel. Other aspects of the invention are generally directed to methods of making and using such systems, kits involving such systems, emulsions created using such systems, or the like.

Control of emulsions, including multiple emulsions

Surfactants (e.g., fluorosurfactants) for stabilizing aqueous or hydrocarbon droplets in a fluorophilic continuous phase are presented. In some embodiments, fluorosurfactants include a fluorophilic tail soluble in a fluorophilic (e.g., fluorocarbon) continuous phase, and a headgroup soluble in either an aqueous phase or a lipophilic (e.g., hydrocarbon) phase. The combination of a fluorophilic tail and a headgroup may be chosen so as to create a surfactant with a suitable geometry for forming stabilized reverse emulsion droplets having a disperse aqueous or lipophilic phase in a continuous, fluorophilic phase. In some embodiments, the headgroup is preferably non-ionic and can prevent or limit the adsorption of molecules at the interface between the surfactant and the discontinuous phase. This configuration can allow the droplet to serve, for example, as a reaction site for certain chemical and/or biological reactions. In another embodiment, aqueous droplets are stabilized in a fluorocarbon phase at least in part by the electrostatic attraction of two oppositely charged or polar components, one of which is at least partially soluble in the dispersed phase, the other at least partially soluble in the continuous phase. One component may provide colloidal stability of the emulsion, and the other may prevent the adsorption of biomolecules at the interface between a component and the discontinuous phase. Advantageously, surfactants and surfactant combinations of the invention may provide sufficient stabilization against coalescence of droplets, without interfering with processes that can be carried out inside the droplets.

Fluorocarbon emulsion stabilizing surfactants

The present invention generally relates to emulsions, and more particularly, to double and other multiple emulsions. Certain aspects of the present invention are generally directed to the creation of double emulsions and other multiple emulsions at a common junction of microfluidic channels. In some cases, the microfluidic channels at the common junction may have substantially the same hydrophobicity. In one set of embodiments, a device may include a common junction of six or more channels, where a first fluid flows through one channel, a second fluid flows through two channels, and a third or carrying fluid flows through two more channels, such that a double emulsion of a first droplet of the first fluid, contained in a second droplet of the second fluid, contained by the carrying fluid, flows away from the common junction through a sixth channel.

Surfactants (e.g., fluorosurfactants) for stabilizing aqueous or hydrocarbon droplets in a fluorophilic continuous phase are presented. In some embodiments, fluorosurfactants include a fluorophilic tail soluble in a fluorophilic (e.g., fluorocarbon) continuous phase, and a headgroup soluble in either an aqueous phase or a lipophilic (e.g., hydrocarbon) phase. The combination of a fluorophilic tail and a headgroup may be chosen so as to create a surfactant with a suitable geometry for forming stabilized reverse emulsion droplets having a disperse aqueous or lipophilic phase in a continuous, fluorophilic phase. In some embodiments, the headgroup is preferably non-ionic and can prevent or limit the adsorption of molecules at the interface between the surfactant and the discontinuous phase. This configuration can allow the droplet to serve, for example, as a reaction site for certain chemical and/or biological reactions. In another embodiment, aqueous droplets are stabilized in a fluorocarbon phase at least in part by the electrostatic attraction of two oppositely charged or polar components, one of which is at least partially soluble in the dispersed phase, the other at least partially soluble in the continuous phase. One component may provide collodial stability of the emulsion, and the other may prevent the adsorption of biomolecules at the interface between a component and the discontinous phase. Advantageously, surfactants and surfactant combinations of the invention may provide sufficient stabilization against coalescence of droplets, without interfering with processes that can be carried out inside the droplets.

The present invention provides a method for coating metal oxide on a PDMS surface. The method includes preparing a mixture that contains a sol-gel precursor, reacting the mixture to form a preconverted sol-gel precursor, where the preconverted sol-gel precursor does not diffuse into PDMS and is not in the form of a gel, forming a reactive PDMS surface, applying the preconverted sol-gel precursor onto the reactive PDMS surface, binding the preconverted sol-gel precursor to the re-active PDMS surface, and converting the bound preconverted sol-gel precursor to a metal oxide to form a metal oxide coating on the PDMS surface. The present invention also provides a PDMS microfluidic device where one or more channels of the microfluidic device is provided with a metal oxide coating covalently bound only on the surface of the one or more channels.

Metal oxide coating on surfaces

The present invention generally relates to coating materials, including photoactive coating materials. In some aspects of the invention, a sol-gel is provided that can be formed as a coating on a microfluidic channel. One or more portions of the sol-gel can be reacted to alter its hydrophobicity, in some cases. For instance, in one set of embodiments, a portion of the sol-gel may be exposed to light, such as ultraviolet light, which can be used to induce a chemical reaction in the sol-gel that alters its hydrophobicity. In one set of embodiments, the sol-gel can include a photoinitiator, that upon exposure to light, produces radicals. Optionally, the photoinitiator may be conjugated to a silane or other material within the sol-gel. The radicals so produced may be used to cause a polymerization reaction to occur on the surface of the sol-gel, thus altering the hydrophobicity of the surface. In some cases, various portions may be reacted or left unreacted, e.g., by controlling exposure to light (for instance, using a mask). Such treated surfaces within a microfluidic channel may be useful in a wide variety of applications, for instance, in the creation of emulsions such as multiple emulsions.

Surfaces, including microfluidic channels, with controlled wetting properties

Growing community of inventors

Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany

Christian Holtze