Abstract:
Method and apparatus for mixing small volumes of reaction components. In one application, a plurality of removable vessels are placed in a parallel reactor, and reaction components are delivered to each vessel. An impeller is rotated in each vessel to mix the components. Each impeller has a rotary shaft and at least one blade on the shaft for placement in the reaction components. The blade is dimensioned so that one rotation of the impeller causes the blade to sweep out a sweep volume representing a large amount of the fill volume of the vessel.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for reacting a plurality of different mixtures in parallel in a semi-batch or continuous mode is provided. Each reaction is contained within a reactor vessel, the reactor vessels combined into a reactor block. Reactant(s) to be added during the reaction are kept in a header barrel, which has a plunger to feed reactant(s) from the header barrel through a transfer line into the reactor vessel. The plunger is moved using a drive system. The header barrels are optionally combined in a header block. The header block is sealed to a plate containing the transfer lines, which in turn is sealed to the reactor block. A latch mechanism is provided for easy sealing of the reactor and header blocks to the plate. The entire apparatus may be placed on a rocker or rotating plate for mixture as the reaction is proceeding.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus are provided for the preparation of a substrate having an array of diverse materials, the materials being deposited at spatially addressable, predefined regions. In particular, potential masking systems are provided which generate spatially and temporally varying electric, magnetic and chemical potentials across a substrate. These varying potentials are used to deposit components of source materials onto a substrate in a combinatorial fashion, thus creating arrays of materials that differ slightly in chemical composition, concentration, stoichiometry, and/or thickness. The diverse materials may be organized in discrete arrays, or they may vary continuously over the surface of the substrate. The shape of the potential allows the determination of the composition of the resulting materials at all locations on the substrate.
Abstract:
The present invention relates, inter alia, to methodologies for the synthesis, screening and characterization of organometallic compounds and catalysts (e.g., homogeneous catalysts). The methods of the present invention provide for the combinatorial synthesis, screening and characterization of libraries of supported and unsupported organometallic compounds and catalysts (e.g., homogeneous catalysts). The methods of the present invention can be applied to the preparation and screening of large numbers of organometallic compounds which can be used not only as catalysts (e.g., homogeneous catalysts), but also as additives and therapeutic agents.
Abstract:
An apparatus and method for carrying out and monitoring the progress and properties of multiple reactions is disclosed. The method and apparatus are especially useful for synthesizing, screening, and characterizing combinatorial libraries, but also offer significant advantages over conventional experimental reactors as well. The apparatus generally includes multiple vessels for containing reaction mixtures, and systems for controlling the stirring rate and temperature of individual reaction mixtures or groups of reaction mixtures. In addition, the apparatus may include provisions for independently controlling pressure in each vessel. In situ monitoring of individual reaction mixtures provides feedback for process controllers, and also provides data for determining reaction rates, product yields, and various properties of the reaction products, including viscosity and molecular weight.
Abstract:
New ligands, compositions, metal-ligand complexes and arrays with pyridyl-amine ligands are disclosed that catalyze the polymerization of monomers into polymers. Certain of these catalysts with hafnium metal centers have high performance characteristics, including higher comonomer incorporation into ethylene/olefin copolymers, where such olefins are for example, 1-octene, isobutylene or styrene. Certain of the catalysts are particularly effective at polymerizing propylene to high molecular weight isotactic polypropylene in a solution process at a variety of polymerization conditions.
Abstract:
A novel gas injection valve for injecting discrete charges of gas into a mobile phase or carrier stream is provided. Injection valves of the invention comprise a plurality of microvalves capable of receiving gas at different pressures and emitting discrete charges of gas at approximately the same pressure. The invention further provides for parallel injection valve arrays capable of injecting multiple samples substantially simultaneously and a method of injecting discrete gas samples at a controlled pressure to a high-resolution gas chromatograph.
Abstract:
A cannula for use in transferring small volumes of fluid materials, such as in a parallel reaction process. The cannula comprises a long thin needle having various end (port) configurations, and an adapter for connecting the needle to a fluid line. The adapter may include the combination of a reservoir and transition, or simply a transition.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for screening diverse arrays of materials are provided. In particular, techniques for rapidly characterizing compounds in arrays of materials in order to discover and/or optimize new materials with specific desired properties are provided. The substrate can be screened for materials having useful properties, and/or the resulting materials can be ranked, or otherwise compared, for relative performance with respect to useful properties or other characterizations. In particular, systems and methods are provided for screening a library of magnetic materials for their bulk magnetization, saturation magnetization, and coercivity by imaging their individual optical Kerr rotation, screening a library of dielectric materials for their dielectric coefficients by imaging their individual electro-optical rotation and screening a library of luminescent materials by imaging their individual luminescent properties under a variety of excitation conditions. Optical or visible luminescence systems are also provided as well as their application to screening libraries of different materials.