Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Harvard College

Malancha Gupta

George M Whitesides

Karen K Gleason

Minglin Ma

Katherine Andrea Mirica

Gregory C Rutledge

Sergey S Shevkoplyas

Andres W Martinez

Scott T Phillips

Emanuel Carrilho

Adam Winkleman

Raquel Perez-Castillejos

Phillip W Snyder

Katherine L Gudiksen

Yu Mao

The ability to levitate, to separate, and to detect changes in density using diamagnetic particles suspended in solutions containing paramagnetic cations using an inhomogeneous magnetic field is described. The major advantages of this separation device are that: i) it is a simple apparatus that does not require electric power (a set of permanent magnets and gravity are sufficient for the diamagnetic separation and collection system to work); ii) it is compatible with simple optical detection (provided that transparent materials are used to fabricate the containers/channels where separation occurs; iii) it is simple to collect the separated particles for further processing; iv) it does not require magnetic labeling of the particles/materials; and v) it is small, portable. The method and kits provided provide for separation and collection of materials of different densities, diagnostics for detection of analytes of interest, monitoring of solid-supported chemical reactions and determination of densities of solid and liquid mixtures.

Density-based methods for separation of materials, monitoring of solid supported reactions and measuring densities of small liquid volumes and solids

Disclosed is a versatile method to produce superhydrophobic surfaces by combining electrospinning and initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). A wide variety of surfaces, including electrospun polyester fibers, may be coated by the inventive method. In one embodiment, poly(caprolactone) (PCL) was electrospun and then coated by iCVD with a thin layer of hydrophobic polymerized perfluoroalkyl ethyl methacrylate (PPFEMA). In certain embodiments said coated surfaces exhibit water contact angles of above 150 degrees, oleophobicities of at least Grade-8 and sliding angles of less than 12 degrees (for a water droplet of about 20 mg).

Superhydrophobic fibers produced by electrospinning and chemical vapor deposition

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Malancha Gupta