Turning Up the Heat: Wireless Induction Heating for Multitemperature Microscale Reactions

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Accurate temperature control is crucial for high-throughput experimentation (HTE) but challenging in disposable plastic multiwell plates.
• Conventional heating methods suffer from inefficiency, temperature gradients, and potential contamination in plastic plates.
• Implementing multiple temperature set points typically requires separate plates or hardware, increasing complexity and introducing batch effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a wireless induction-heating platform for precise temperature control in disposable plastic multiwell plates.
• To enable programmable, multi-zone temperature control within a single plate for HTE.
• To integrate heating with mixing and reagent delivery functionalities.

Main Methods:

• A wireless induction-heating platform was designed using small metal balls placed in each well of disposable plastic plates.
• Induction heating generated heat directly within the reaction mixture, controlled by metal ball count and induction settings.
• Fiber-optic probes were used to measure in-well temperatures and assess thermal crosstalk.
• Metal balls were also utilized for tumble-stir mixing and reagent delivery.

Main Results:

• The platform achieved stable in-well temperatures with rapid heating and minimal thermal crosstalk.
• Multiple discrete temperature zones were programmed within a single multiwell plate by varying metal ball count.
• Calibration relationships were established between induction settings, metal ball count, and in-well temperature.
• The system successfully demonstrated temperature-resolved microscale cross-coupling screens and library synthesis.

Conclusions:

• Wireless induction heating with metal balls offers an efficient and versatile solution for temperature control in HTE.
• This platform overcomes limitations of conventional heating, enabling precise, programmable, and multi-zone temperature management in disposable plates.
• The integrated functionalities of heating, mixing, and reagent delivery enhance the capabilities for complex experimental workflows.