Device and method for pressure-driven plug transport and reaction
The present invention provides microfabricated substrates and methods of conducting reactions within these substrates. The reactions occur in plugs transported in the flow of a carrier-fluid.
1. A method of conducting a reaction within at least one plug comprising the steps of:
introducing a carrier-fluid into a first microchannel of a device;
simultaneously introducing at least two streams of plug-fluids into a first inlet in fluid communication with the first microchannel so that at least one plug forms in the carrier-fluid after the streams contact the carrier-fluid; wherein:
a first plug-fluid comprises a first reagent;
a second plug-fluid comprises a second reagent;
each plug-fluid is immiscible with the carrier-fluid; and
each plug comprises both the first and second plug-fluids so that the reaction of the reagents substantially occurs in the plug;
each plug is substantially surrounded by carrier.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier-fluid comprises an oil.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier-fluid comprises a fluorinated compound.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the fluorinated compound is perfluorodecaline or perfluoroperhydrophenanthrene.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier-fluid comprises at least one surfactant.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plug-fluids comprises a solvent.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plug-fluids comprises a solvent and a surfactant.
8. The method of claim 1 , further independently adjusting flow rates of each plug-fluids so that an array of plugs forms where at least two plugs contain different concentration of reagents.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein plugs are formed at a capillary number of ≦about 0.2.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction of the plug-fluids forms an insoluble reaction product within at least one plug.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction of the plug-fluids forms a soluble reaction product within at least one plug.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plug-fluids are distinct laminar streams at or before the inlet.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the channels comprises one or more turns or bends.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of merging at least one plug with a second plug downstream of the first inlet.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of splitting at least one plug into two or more parts by splitting the channel downstream of the first inlet.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising splitting at least one plug into two or more parts such that a first part of the plug passes into a second channel through an opening, wherein the second channel is downstream of the first inlet.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the cross-section dimension of the first channel differs from a cross-section dimension of the second channel.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein a cross-section dimension of the first channel is approximately equal to a cross-section dimension of the second channel.
19. The method of claims 16 , wherein the pressure within the first channel differs from the pressure in the second channel.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein a constriction exists at or near the junction of the first and second channels.
21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising separating at least one plug from the carrier-fluid.
22. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting the presence of at least one plug downstream of the first inlet.
23. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting the product of the reaction.
24. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the reaction.
25. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the kinetics of the reaction.
26. The method of claim 24 , wherein monitoring comprises measuring at least one optical property of the plugs.
27. The method of claim 1 , wherein refractive indices of the carrier-fluid and the plug-fluids are substantially similar.
28. The method of claim 24 , wherein monitoring is conducted at one or more positions along the first microchannel of the device.
29. The method of claim 1 , further comprising employing a number of devices in parallel.
30. The method of claim 1 , further comprising stopping the introducing of carrier-fluid and plug-fluids for a period of time.
31. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction is a polymerization reaction.
32. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction results in an unstable intermediate.