Semiflow Microwave Heating Reactor with Resonator Moving Mechanism Applied to Zeolite Synthesis.

A semiflow microwave (MW) heating reactor similar to a flow reactor system was developed. Slurry raw materials in the reaction tube were heated continuously and cooled rapidly by moving a thin MW resonator instead of flowing slurry raw materials. From highly viscous mother slurries, Linde-type A (LTA) and faujasite (FAU)-type zeolite nanoparticles of small crystal grains were synthesized quickly. Results show that this heating system can synthesize hydroxy-sodalite (SOD)-type zeolite from coal fly ash particles including those larger than 50 µm. Numerical calculations using the COMSOL Multiphysics program revealed the thermal distribution of liquids of various viscosities using the semiflow MW heating reactor.

In situ microwave heating fabrication of copper nanoparticles inside cotton fiber using pressurization in immiscible liquids with raw material solutions.

We developed a method for in situ fabrication of copper nanoparticles inside cotton fibers. Copper nanoparticles can be fabricated mainly in the central part of the fiber by absorbing a raw material solution and by applying microwave heating in a state where the raw material solution is pressed with immiscible liquids. Surface SEM images and cross-sectional EDS mapping for the fabricated fibers clarified that copper nanoparticles fabricated on the cotton surface were suppressed considerably more by the hydrophobic raw material solution than by the hydrophilic raw material solution. These cotton fibers containing copper nanoparticles were found to have antiviral properties against the influenza A virus.

Design strategy of antidote sequence for bivalent aptamer: Rapid neutralization of high-anticoagulant thrombin-binding bivalent DNA aptamer-linked M08 with HD22.

BACKGROUND: Bivalent thrombin-binding aptamers (TBAs) have great potential for the treatment of thrombosis because they exhibit high anticoagulant activity, and their complementary single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) sequences work as an antidote. However, a design strategy for antidote sequences against bivalent aptamers has not been established. OBJECTIVES: To develop bivalent TBAs using M08, which exhibits higher anticoagulant activity than the previously reported exosite Ⅰ-binding DNA aptamers, such as HD1, an exosite Ⅱ-binding DNA aptamer (HD22) was linked to M08 with various types of linkers. In addition, short-length complementary ssDNAs were designed to neutralize the optimized bivalent aptamer effectively and rapidly. RESULTS: Among the bivalent aptamers of M08 linked to HD22 with various types of linkers, M08-T15-HD22 possessed approximately 5-fold higher anticoagulant activity than previously reported bivalent aptamers. To neutralize the activity of the 87-meric M08-T15-HD22, complementary ssDNA sequences with different lengths and hybridization segments were designed. The complementary sequence against the M08 moiety played a more important role in neutralizing than that against the HD22 moiety. Hybridization of the T15 linker in the M08-T15-HD22 with the A15 sequence in the antidote accelerated neutralization due to toehold-mediated strand displacement. Interestingly, some shorter-length antidotes showed higher neutralizing activity than the full complementary 87-meric antidote, and the shortest, 34-meric antidote, neutralized most effectively. CONCLUSIONS: A pair comprising an 87-meric bivalent TBA containing M08 and a 34-meric short-length antidote with high anticoagulant and rapid neutralizing activities was developed. This design strategy of the DNA sequence can be used for other bivalent DNA aptamers and their antidotes.

In-situ Fabrication of Functional Materials inside Porous Fiber using Microwave Selective Heating.

We developed a simple fabrication method, which can emplace functional materials inside porous fibers. In contrast to conventional impregnation methods or surface coating, various functions can be included inside of natural or synthetic fibers. This fabrication method has three steps. First, the raw material solution is absorbed to the fiber. Then the fiber is immersed and pressurized in immiscible liquids with the raw material solution. Finally, the functional particles are fabricated in-situ inside of the fiber by a chemical reaction such as microwave selective heating. As a model reaction, we fabricated silver-nanoparticle-containing cotton fiber. The elemental silver was distributed inside of the fiber in a cross-sectional distribution as confirmed by SEM-EDS. Furthermore, we fabricated fibers with zeolite particles inside of porous PTFE fibers.

Continuous syntheses of carbon-supported Pd and Pd@Pt core-shell nanoparticles using a flow-type single-mode microwave reactor.

Continuous syntheses of carbon-supported Pd@Pt core-shell nanoparticles were performed using microwave-assisted flow reaction in polyol to synthesize carbon-supported core Pd with subsequent direct coating of a Pt shell. By optimizing the amount of NaOH, almost all Pt precursors contributed to shell formation without specific chemicals.

Continuous syntheses of Pd@Pt and Cu@Ag core-shell nanoparticles using microwave-assisted core particle formation coupled with galvanic metal displacement.

Continuous synthesis of Pd@Pt and Cu@Ag core-shell nanoparticles was performed using flow processes including microwave-assisted Pd (or Cu) core-nanoparticle formation followed by galvanic displacement with a Pt (or Ag) shell. The core-shell structure and the nanoparticle size were confirmed using high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) observation and EDS elemental mapping. The Pd@Pt nanoparticles with a particle size of 6.5 ± 0.6 nm and a Pt shell thickness of ca. 0.25 nm were synthesized with appreciably high Pd concentration (Pd 100 mM). This shell thickness corresponds to one atomic layer thickness of Pt encapsulating the Pd core metal. The particle size of core Pd was controlled by tuning the initial concentrations of Na2[PdCl4] and PVP. Core-shell Cu@Ag nanoparticles with a particle size of 90 ± 35 nm and an Ag shell thickness of ca. 3.5 nm were obtained using similar sequential reactions. Oxidation of the Cu core was suppressed by the coating of Cu nanoparticles with the Ag shell.

Continuous synthesis of monodispersed silver nanoparticles using a homogeneous heating microwave reactor system.

Continuous synthesis of silver nanoparticles based on a polyol process was conducted using a microwave-assisted flow reactor installed in a cylindrical resonance cavity. Silver nitrate (AgNO(3)) and poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) dissolved in ethylene glycol were used respectively as a silver metal precursor and as a capping agent of nanoparticles. Ethylene glycol worked as the solvent and simultaneously as the reductant. Silver nanoparticles of narrow size distributions were synthesized steadily for 5 h, maintaining almost constant yield (>93%) and quality. The reaction was achieved within 2.8 s of residence time, although nanoparticles were not formed under this flow rate by conventional heating. A narrower particle size distribution was realized by the increased flow rate of the reaction solution. Nanoparticles of 9.8 nm average size with a standard deviation of 0.9 nm were synthesized at the rate of 100 ml h(-l).