Methods and compositions for directed microwave chemistry

• US 20020197645A1
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milestone S.R.L. (Embracer Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Mirari Biosciences, Inc.
• Inventors: Martin, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,351,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/7.1
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 11/00 Carrier-bound or immobilised enzymes; Carrier-bound or immobilised microbial cells; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 13/00 Treatment of microorganisms or enzymes with electrical or wave energy, e.g. magnetism, sonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/806 Electrical property or magnetic property
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/115831 Condition or time responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/116664 with automated titrator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/24 Nuclear magnetic resonance, electron spin resonance or other spin effects or mass spectrometry

Abstract

The present invention concerns a novel means by which specific chosen reactions can be accelerated through the use of a new type of artificial enzyme. The invention allows specific reactions to occur at an accelerated rate, even in the presence of other non-chosen molecules, which may be very similar in structure to the chosen reactant. The reactions may be stoichiometric or catalytic.

Claims

1. A method for accelerating a chemical reaction of a reactant specifically bound to a surface, said method comprising;

(a) contacting a composite with the reactant, said composite comprising a solid material susceptible to dielectric heating and a specific binding molecule for the reactant,

(b) applying an electromagnetic field to said composite, resulting in dielectric heating of the said solid material, and

(c) allowing said heated reactant to react, thereby accelerating the reaction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of measuring the extent of reaction, and controlling the application of the electromagnetic field in response to said measured extent of reaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of contacting comprises mixing said composite into a solution containing said reactant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of contacting comprises mixing said reactant into a liquid containing said composite.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wavelength of the applied field is between 5 cm and 100 m.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said chemical reaction is hydrolysis, homolytic cleavage, or a chemiluminescent reaction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said solid material is selected from the group consisting of carbon, charcoal, amorphous carbon, carbon black, clay, and nickel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said solid material is an oxide selected from the group consisting of copper oxide, chromium oxide, silicon oxide, niobate oxide and manganese oxide.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said solid material is a titanate selected from the group consisting of barium titanate, and an inorganic titanate.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said solid material is an alumina compound selected from the group consisting of alumina-magnetite, aluminum-epoxy composite and calcium aluminate.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said solid material is an oxide or non-oxide ceramic, a ferrite, a ferroelectric polymer, or an organic polymer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said solid material is selected from the group consisting of SiC, Si, Mg, FeSi, Cr₂O₃, Fe₃O₄, MnO₂, NiO.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said solid material is a mixture of a conductive material and an insulator.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said conducting powder is Nb, TaC, SiC, MoSi₂, Cu, or Fe, and said insulator is ZrO₂, Y₂O₃, or Al₂O₃

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said conductive materials are metals, and wherein said metals are granular, flakelike, spherical, needlelike or fibrous in shape.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said specific reactant binding molecule is selected from the group consisting of a molecularly imprinted polymer, a zeolite, an antibody, a modified antibody, an enzyme, a modified enzyme, a cavitand, a chiral ligand, a low molecular weight organic synthetic receptor, single stranded nucleic acid, and double stranded nucleic acid.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said specific reactant is selected from the group consisting of an antigen, receptor ligand, enzyme inhibitor, enzyme substrate, enzyme product, and oligonucleotide.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein specific reactant is a covalent conjugate of a small molecule and a molecule selected from the group consisting of a molecularly imprinted polymer, a zeolite, an antibody, a modified antibody, an enzyme, a modified enzyme, a cavitand, a chiral ligand, a low molecular weight organic synthetic receptor, single stranded nucleic acid, and double stranded nucleic acid.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said specific reactant binding molecule has at least one binding site for said reactant, said binding site facilitating more than one reaction turnover.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said specific reactant binding molecule has at least one binding site for said reactant, said binding site facilitating one reaction turnover.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic field is applied at a frequency of from about 0.9 to about 25 GHz.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said electromagnetic field is applied at a frequency of from about 0.9 to about 6 GHz.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said electromagnetic field is applied at a frequency of from about 0.9 to about 2.5 GHz.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said electromagnetic field is applied at a frequency selected from the group consisting of 0.915, 2.45, 5.85 and 22.125 GHz.

25. The method of claim 1, in which said composite is in the form of a particle.

26. The method of claim 1, in which said composite is in the form of a planar substrate.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of measuring the extent of reaction, and controlling the application of the electromagnetic field in response to the measured extent of reaction.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said applied electromagnetic field has a wavelength of between 5 cm and 100 m.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein said chemical reaction is hydrolysis, homolytic cleavage, or a chemiluminescent reaction.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein said solid material is selected from the group consisting of carbon, charcoal, amorphous carbon, carbon black, clay, and nickel.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein said solid material is an oxide selected from the group consisting of copper oxide, chromium oxide, silicon oxide, niobate oxide and manganese oxide.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein said solid material is a titanate selected from the group consisting of barium titanate, and an inorganic titanate.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein said solid material is an alumina compound selected from the group consisting of alumina-magnetite, aluminum-epoxy composite and calcium aluminate.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein said solid material is an oxide or non-oxide ceramic, a ferrite, a ferroelectric polymer, or an organic polymer.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein said solid material is selected from the group consisting of SiC, Si, Mg, FeSi, Cr₂O₃, Fe₃O₄, MnO₂, NiO.

37. The method of claim 27, wherein said solid material is a mixture of a conductive material and an insulator.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said conducting powder is Nb, TaC, SiC, MoSi₂, Cu, or Fe, and said insulator is ZrO₂, Y₂O₃, or Al₂O₃

39. The method of claim 37, wherein said conductive materials are metals, and wherein said metals are granular, flakelike, spherical, needlelike or fibrous in shape.

40. The method of claim 27, wherein said specific reactant-binding molecule is selected from the group consisting of a molecularly imprinted polymer, a zeolite, an antibody, a modified antibody, an enzyme, a modified enzyme, a cavitand, a chiral ligand, a low molecular weight organic synthetic receptor, single stranded nucleic acid, and double stranded nucleic acid.

41. The method of claim 27, wherein said specific reactant is selected from the group consisting of an antigen, receptor ligand, enzyme inhibitor, enzyme substrate, enzyme product, and oligonucleotide.

42. The method of claim 27, wherein specific reactant is a covalent conjugate of a small molecule and a molecule selected from the group consisting of a molecularly imprinted polymer, a zeolite, an antibody, a modified antibody, an enzyme, a modified enzyme, a cavitand, a chiral ligand, a low molecular weight organic synthetic receptor, single stranded nucleic acid, and double stranded nucleic acid.

43. The method of claim 27, wherein said specific reactant-binding molecule has at least one binding site, said binding site facilitating more than one reaction turnover.

44. The method of claim 27, wherein said specific reactant-binding molecule has at least one binding site, said binding site facilitating one turnover.

45. The method of claim 27, wherein said electromagnetic field is applied at a frequency of from about 0.9 to about 25 GHz.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein said electromagnetic field is applied at a frequency of from about 0.9 to about 6 GHz.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said electromagnetic field is applied at a frequency of from about 0.9 to about 2.5 GHz.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein said electromagnetic field is applied at a frequency selected from the group consisting of 0.915, 2.45, 5.85 and 22.125 GHz.

49. The method of claim 27, in which said composite is in the form of a particle.

50. The method of claim 27, in which said composite is in the form of a planar substrate.

58. The composite of claim 45, wherein said solid material is a mixture of a conductive material and an insulator.

61. The composite of claim 45, wherein said binding molecule is selected from the group consisting of a molecularly imprinted polymer, a zeolite, an antibody, a modified antibody, an enzyme, a modified enzyme, a cavitand, a chiral ligand, a low molecular weight organic synthetic receptor, single stranded nucleic acid, and double stranded nucleic acid.

62. The composite of claim 45, wherein said specific reactant is selected from the group consisting of an antigen, receptor ligand, enzyme inhibitor, enzyme substrate, enzyme product, and oligonucleotide.

63. The composite of claim 45, wherein specific reactant is a covalent conjugate of a small molecule and a molecule selected from the group consisting of a molecularly imprinted polymer, a zeolite, an antibody, a modified antibody, an enzyme, a modified enzyme, a cavitand, a chiral ligand, a low molecular weight organic synthetic receptor, single stranded nucleic acid, and double stranded nucleic acid.

27. A method for accelerating a chemical reaction of a reactant specifically bound to a surface, said method comprising;

(a) contacting a composite, said composite comprising a solid material susceptible to dielectric heating and a specific binding molecule for the reactant, with a reactant-containing solution for a time sufficient to allow reactant to bind to composite,

(b) separating the composite-reactant complex from the solution,

(c) applying an electromagnetic field to said composite, resulting in dielectric heating of the said solid material, and

(d) allowing said reactant to be converted to product, thereby accelerating the reaction.

51. A composite comprising a solid material responsive to dielectric heating and a binding molecule capable of specifically binding a reactant molecule.

52. The composite of claim 51, wherein said solid material is selected from the group consisting of carbon, charcoal, amorphous carbon, carbon black, clay, and nickel.

53. The composite of claim 51, wherein said solid material is an oxide selected from the group consisting of copper oxide, chromium oxide, silicon oxide, niobate oxide and manganese oxide.

54. The composite of claim 51, wherein said solid material is a titanate selected from the group consisting of barium titanate, and an inorganic titanate.

55. The composite of claim 51, wherein said solid material is an alumina compound selected from the group consisting of alumina-magnetite, aluminum-epoxy composite and calcium aluminate.

56. The composite of claim 51, wherein said solid material is an oxide or non-oxide ceramic, a ferrite, a ferroelectric polymer, or an organic polymer.

57. The composite of claim 51, wherein said solid material is selected from the group consisting of SiC, Si, Mg, FeSi, Cr₂O₃, Fe₃O₄, MnO₂, NiO.

59. The composite of claim 52, wherein said conducting powder is Nb, TaC, SiC, MoSi₂, Cu, or Fe, and said insulator is ZrO₂, Y₂O₃, or Al₂O₃

60. The composite of claim 52, wherein said conductive materials are metals, and wherein said metals are granular, flakelike, spherical, needlelike or fibrous in shape.

64. The composite of claim 51, in which said composite is in the form of a particle.

65. The composite of claim 51, in which said composite is in the form of a planar substrate.

66. The composite of claim 51, wherein said composite additionally comprises a porous, thermally-insulating coating.

67. The composite of claim 66, wherein said coating covers said solid material and said binding molecule.

68. The composite of claim 66, wherein said binding molecule is bound to said solid material and said porous coating covers said binding molecule, the porosity of said coating allowing for said reactant to contact said binding molecule.

69. The composite of claim 51, wherein said composite additionally comprises a specific reactant-binding molecule bound to said specific reactant.

70. The composite of claim 69, wherein said coating covers said solid material and said binding molecule.

71. The composite of claim 68, wherein said binding molecule is bound to said solid material and said porous coating covers-said binding molecule, the porosity of said coating allowing for said reactant to contact said binding molecule.

72. The composite of claim 68, wherein said specific reactant-binding molecule is selected from the group consisting of a molecularly imprinted polymer, a zeolite, an antibody, a modified antibody, an enzyme, a modified enzyme, a cavitand, a chiral ligand, a low molecular weight organic synthetic receptor, single stranded nucleic acid, and double stranded nucleic acid.

73. The composite of claim 72, wherein said specific reactant is selected from the group consisting of an antigen, receptor ligand, enzyme inhibitor, enzyme substrate, enzyme product, and oligonucleotide.

74. The composite of claim 72, wherein specific reactant is a covalent conjugate of a small molecule and a molecule selected from the group consisting of a molecularly imprinted polymer, a zeolite, an antibody, a modified antibody, an enzyme, a modified enzyme, a cavitand, a chiral ligand, a low molecular weight organic synthetic receptor, single stranded nucleic acid, and double stranded nucleic acid.

75. The composite of claim 68, wherein said thermally-insulating material is selected from the group consisting of cross-linked dextran, gelatin, agarose, polyacrylamide, poly acrylates, silica, and poly(styrene-divinyl benzene).

76. The composite of claim 68, which is in the form of a particle.

77. The composite of claim 68, which is in the form of a planar substrate.