Research Projects
NanoNextNL: Microdevices for Chemical Processing (10C)
The aim of the program “microdevices for chemical processing” is the development of scalable microstructured reactors and functionalization of microreactors, and the use of these reactors for selected applications, thereby proving the technical and commercial relevance of the use of microdevices in chemical processing. This is essential for the uptake of this technology by industry. The program consists of 2 closely related, clustered projects focusing on:
- channel functionalization (e.g. wetting control, catalyst implementation)
- scalable microstructured reactors
For the microstructured reactors the complete range of channel sizes from 10 μm (researchscale) to several millimetres (required for production) will be covered. The challenge is therefore to obtain a thorough understanding of scaling issues, both focusing on the direct influence on the reaction itself, and on the influence on the reactor performance. This latter effect will especially come into play when creating stacked networks of parallel channels, influencing thermal management and fluid distribution. Furthermore the influence of scaling on sedimentation in microdevices will be studied.
A second scientific focus will be microreactor functionalization, in combination with optical techniques. Work will be centred around 1) new, improved functionalization procedures 2) modeling and simulation of catalytic coatings in microreactors and 3) use of planar waveguides for both coating/catalyst characterization and monitoring the catalytic reactions. All 3 foci involve new research and development and do not overlap with current research.
Nirion
The goal of the Nirion project is to develop a point-of-care device that enables kidney patients to measure their own blood and urine samples in a fast and effective way.
This project is funded by EFRO (Europees Fonds voor Regionale ontwikkeling) and GO (Gelderland&Overijssel gebundelde innovatiekracht).
LCAOS
The LCAOS project will develop and test a new diagnostic tool, able to detect: (i) the presence of lung cancer (LC), and (ii) an increased risk of a patient developing LC in the future. Diagnostic tests currently available are unsuitable for widespread screening because they are costly, occasionally miss tumours, are not time-efficient, nor free of complications. LCAOS will overcome these problems by using an approach based on volatile biomarkers emitted from cell membranes.
More information can be foudn on the FP7 website.