Droplet Microreactor

• US 20080124252A1
• Filed: 07/05/2005
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation), Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Gmouh, Said, Hassine, Fatima, Delapierre, Guillaume, Marchand, Gilles, Vaultier, Michel, Vinet, Francoise
• Application Number:
  US11/631,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20080124252A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/129
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3021 the components to be mixed being combined in a single independent droplet, e.g. these droplets being divided by a non-miscible fluid or consisting of independent droplets
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3031 using electro-hydrodynamic [EHD] or electro-kinetic [EKI] phenomena to mix or move the fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 14/00 Chemical processes in general for reacting liquids with liquids; Apparatus specially adapted therefor B01J8/00, B01J19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0093 Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors laboratory containers with capillary fluid transport in microfabricated channels or chambers B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/089 Virtual walls for guiding liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0415 electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0427 Electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0433 vibrational forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0442 thermal energy, e.g. vaporisation, bubble jet
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502792 for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering surface tension
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 227/16 by reactions not involving the amino or carboxyl groups
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 41/14 by exchange of organic parts on the ether-oxygen for other organic parts, e.g. by trans-etherification
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 221/18 Ring systems of four or more rings
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 17/12 containing a six-membered hetero ring
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1046 Levitated, suspended drops

Abstract

The present invention relates to a droplet microreactor, i.e. a microreactor consisting of a droplet of a specific liquid, the microreactor being wall-less, wherein the interface of the specific liquid with the ambient environment and with the support on which the droplet is deposited defines the limits of the microreactor. The microreactor is characterized in that it consists of a droplet comprising at least one ionic liquid. The present invention also relates to methods for carrying out chemical or biochemical reactions and/or mixes using said droplet microreactor, and also to a lab-on-chip comprising a microreactor according to the invention.

Claims

1. :

Microreactor characterized in that it consists of a droplet comprising at least one ionic liquid.

2. :

Microreactor according to claim 1, in which the ionic liquid comprises a solvent.

3. :

Microreactor according to claim 1, in which the ionic liquid comprises at least one reagent.

4. :

Microreactor according to claim 1, in which said at least one ionic liquid is a functionalized or nonfunctionalized ionic liquid.

5. :

Microreactor according to claim 4, comprising;

in addition to the functionalized ionic liquid, a nonfunctionalized ionic liquid, or

in addition to the nonfunctionalized ionic liquid, a functionalized ionic liquid.

6. :

Microreactor according to claim 1, in which the droplet has a volume of 1 pl to 10 μ

l.

7. :

Microreactor according to claim 1, in which the at least one ionic liquid is chosen from an ammonium salt, a phosphonium salt, an imidazolium salt, an onium salt, or a mixture of these salts.

34. :

Lab-on-chip comprising at least one microreactor according to claim 1.

8. :

Method for carrying out a chemical or biochemical reaction, comprising the following steps;

depositing a droplet of at least one ionic liquid onto a surface,

introducing, into the at least one ionic liquid, before or after it is deposited in the form of a droplet, at least one chemical or biochemical reagent,

chemically or biochemically reacting, in said droplet, the reagent with the ionic liquid and/or the reagents with one another.

9. :

Method according to claim 8, in which the droplet of ionic liquid comprises a solvent.

10. :

Method according to claim 8, in which said at least one ionic liquid comprises a functionalized or nonfunctionalized ionic liquid.

11. :

Method according to claim 10, in which the droplet comprises;

in addition to the functionalized ionic liquid, a nonfunctionalized ionic liquid, or

in addition to the nonfunctionalized ionic liquid, a functionalized ionic liquid.

12. :

Method according to claim 8, in which the droplet has a volume of 1 pl to 10 μ

l.

13. :

Method according to claim 8, in which the ionic liquid is chosen from an ammonium salt, a phosphonium salt, an imidazolium salt and an onium salt, or a mixture of these salts.

14. :

Method according to claim 8, in which the droplet is deposited onto the surface by means of a technique chosen from the group comprising manual deposition, deposition by means of an automated or nonautomated droplet dispenser, or deposition by fractionation of a larger droplet deposited onto the surface.

15. :

Method according to claim 8, in which the surface is a surface of a lab-on-chip.

16. :

Method according to claim 8, in which the surface is a Teflon surface.

17. :

Method according to claim 8, also comprising a step consisting in displacing the droplet of ionic liquid over said surface by means of a technique chosen from mechanical displacement, electrostatic displacement, thermal displacement or acoustic displacement.

32. :

Method according to claim 8, in which the chemical or biochemical reaction is a reaction chosen from the group consisting of a synthesis reaction, a reaction for the immobilization of chemical or biological molecules on the surface, an enzymatic reaction, a catalyst heterogenization reaction, a catalytic reaction, and an electrochemical reaction.

18. :

Method for mixing droplets of ionic liquid, comprising the following steps;

depositing a first droplet of at least one first ionic liquid onto a surface;

depositing a second droplet of at least one second ionic liquid onto said surface;

optionally, introducing into the first ionic liquid, before or after it is deposited in the form of a droplet onto the surface, at least a first chemical or biochemical reagent;

optionally, introducing into the second ionic liquid, before or after it is deposited in the form of a droplet onto the surface, at least a second chemical or biochemical reagent;

bringing the first droplet and the second droplet together so as to form a single droplet.

20. :

Method according to claim 18, in which the droplet of the first ionic liquid comprises a solvent.

21. :

Method according to claim 18, in which the first ionic liquid comprises at least one reagent.

22. :

Method according to claim 18, in which said at least one first ionic liquid and said at least one second ionic liquid are independently chosen from a functionalized or nonfunctionalized ionic liquid.

23. :

Method according to claim 22, in which the first ionic liquid comprises;

in addition to the functionalized ionic liquid, a nonfunctionalized ionic liquid, or

in addition to the nonfunctionalized ionic liquid, a functionalized ionic liquid.

24. :

Method according to claim 22, in which the second ionic liquid comprises;

in addition to the functionalized ionic liquid, a nonfunctionalized ionic liquid, or

in addition to the nonfunctionalized ionic liquid, a functionalized ionic liquid.

25. :

Method according to claim 18, in which the first droplet and the second droplet are identical or different and each have a volume of 1 nl to 10 μ

l.

26. :

Method according to claim 18, in which the first and the second ionic liquids are each, independently of one another, chosen from an ammonium salt, a phosphonium salt, an imidazolium salt, an onium salt, or a mixture of these salts.

27. :

Method according to claim 18, in which the first and/or the second droplet is (are) deposited onto the surface by means of a technique chosen from the group comprising manual deposition, deposition by means of an automated or nonautomated droplet dispenser, and deposition by fractionation of a larger droplet deposited onto the surface.

28. :

Method according to claim 18, in which the surface is a surface of a lab-on-chip.

29. :

Method according to claim 18, in which the surface is a Teflon surface.

30. :

Method according to claim 18, also comprising a step consisting in displacing the first droplet of ionic liquid and/or the second droplet of ionic liquid over the surface by means of a technique chosen from mechanical displacement, electrostatic displacement, thermal displacement or acoustic displacement.

19. :

Method for carrying out a chemical or biochemical reaction, comprising the following steps;

depositing a first droplet of at least one first ionic liquid onto a surface;

depositing a second droplet of at least one second ionic liquid onto said surface;

introducing into the first ionic liquid, before or after it is deposited in the form of a droplet onto the surface, at least a first chemical or biochemical reagent;

introducing into the second ionic liquid, before or after it is deposited in the form of a droplet onto the surface, at least a second chemical or biochemical reagent;

bringing the first droplet and the second droplet together on said surface so as to form a single droplet; and

chemically or biochemically reacting, in the droplet formed by the first and the second droplets brought together, said first reagent with said second reagent.

35. :

Method according to claim 19, in which the droplet of the first ionic liquid comprises a solvent.

36. :

Method according to claim 19, in which the first ionic liquid comprises at least one reagent.

37. :

Method according to claim 19, in which said at least one first ionic liquid and said at least one second ionic liquid are independently chosen from a functionalized or nonfunctionalized ionic liquid.

38. :

Method according to claim 37, in which the first ionic liquid comprises;

in addition to the functionalized ionic liquid, a nonfunctionalized ionic liquid, or

in addition to the nonfunctionalized ionic liquid, a functionalized ionic liquid.

39. :

Method according to claim 37, in which the second ionic liquid comprises;

in addition to the functionalized ionic liquid, a nonfunctionalized ionic liquid, or

in addition to the nonfunctionalized ionic liquid, a functionalized ionic liquid.

40. :

Method according to claim 19, in which the first droplet and the second droplet are identical or different and each have a volume of 1 nl to 10 μ

l.

41. :

Method according to claim 19, in which the first and the second ionic liquids are each, independently of one another, chosen from an ammonium salt, a phosphonium salt, an imidazolium salt, an onium salt, or a mixture of these salts.

42. :

Method according to claim 19, in which the first and/or the second droplet is (are) deposited onto the surface by means of a technique chosen from the group comprising manual deposition, deposition by means of an automated or nonautomated droplet dispenser, and deposition by fractionation of a larger droplet deposited onto the surface.

43. :

Method according to claim 19, in which the surface is a surface of a lab-on-chip.

44. :

Method according to claim 19, also comprising a step consisting in displacing the first droplet of ionic liquid and/or the second droplet of ionic liquid over the surface by means of a technique chosen from mechanical displacement, electrostatic displacement, thermal displacement or acoustic displacement.

45. :

Method according to claim 19, in which the chemical or biochemical reaction is a reaction chosen from the group consisting of a synthesis reaction, a reaction for the immobilization of chemical or biological molecules on the surface, an enzymatic reaction, a catalyst heterogenization reaction, a catalytic reaction, and an electrochemical reaction.

31. (canceled)

33. (canceled)