Molecularly imprinted polymer sensors

• US 10,024,814 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2015
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Trustees of Dartmounth College (Dartmouth College)
• Original Assignee: The Trustees of Dartmounth College (Dartmouth College)
• Inventors: Belbruno, Joseph J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mui, Christine T
• Application Number:
  US14/954,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20160084788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 422 8202, 422 88, 422 98, 422 681, 422 50, 436130
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/005 Spin coating
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/125 Composition of the body, e.g. the composition of its sensitive layer
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/126 comprising organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0006 Calibrating gas analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0036 specially adapted to detect a particular component physical analysis of gaseous biological material G01N33/497
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0047 Organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2918 including free carbon or carbide or therewith [not as steel]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/20 Oxygen containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/200833 Carbonyl, ether, aldehyde or ketone containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/202499 Formaldehyde or acetone

Abstract

A molecularly imprinted polymer sensor for sensing a target molecule includes (a) a polymer film that is molecularly imprinted with the target molecule and includes a conductive polymer having resistance sensitive to binding with the target molecule and a structural polymer providing porosity to the polymer film, and (b) interdigitated electrodes, located on a surface of the polymer film, for measuring a change in the resistance to sense said binding.

Claims

1. A molecularly imprinted polymer sensor for sensing a target molecule, comprising:

a porous polymer film molecularly imprinted with the target molecule and including;

(a) a conductive polymer having resistance sensitive to binding with the target molecule, and

(b) intermixed with the conductive polymer, a structural polymer different from the conductive polymer and providing porosity to the porous polymer film; and

interdigitated electrodes, located on a surface of the porous polymer film, for measuring a change in the resistance to sense said binding.

2. The molecularly imprinted polymer sensor of claim 1, wherein the structural polymer is non-conductive.

3. The molecularly imprinted polymer sensor of claim 1, wherein the target molecule is an airborne target molecule.

4. The molecularly imprinted polymer sensor of claim 1, wherein the conductive polymer and the structural polymer are mixed throughout the porous polymer film.

5. The molecularly imprinted polymer sensor of claim 4, wherein a molar ratio of the conductive polymer to the structural polymer is between 10:

1 and 1;

10.

6. The molecularly imprinted polymer sensor of claim 1, wherein the structural polymer includes polyethyleneimine.

7. The molecularly imprinted polymer sensor of claim 1, wherein the structural polymer includes nylon.

8. The molecularly imprinted polymer sensor of claim 1, wherein the structural polymer includes nylon-6.

9. The molecularly imprinted polymer sensor of claim 1, wherein the conductive polymer includes polyaniline.

10. The molecularly imprinted polymer sensor of claim 1, wherein the porous polymer film has thickness between 50 and 500 nanometers.

11. The molecularly imprinted polymer sensor of claim 10, wherein the interdigitated electrodes has finger spacing in range between 10 and 30microns.

12. The molecularly imprinted polymer sensor of claim 1, the structural polymer providing the porosity to the porous polymer film in regions where the structural polymer and the conductive polymer are intermixed.