Stabilized biocompatible membranes of block copolymers and fuel cells produced therewith

• US 20030049511A1
• Filed: 08/07/2002
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Powerzyme
• Original Assignee: Powerzyme
• Inventors: Sun, Hoi-Cheong Steve, Ritts, Rosalyn
• Application Number:
  US10/213,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20030049511A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/33
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2383/10 Block- or graft-copolymers containing polysiloxane sequences obtained by polymerising a compound having a carbon-to-carbon double bond on to a polysiloxane C08J2351/08, C08J2353/00
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/2256 based on macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions other than those involving carbon-to-carbon bonds, e.g. obtained by polycondensation
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0082 Organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1027 having carbon, oxygen and other atoms, e.g. sulfonated polyethersulfones [S-PES]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/103 having nitrogen, e.g. sulfonated polybenzimidazoles [S-PBI], polybenzimidazoles with phosphoric acid, sulfonated polyamides [S-PA] or sulfonated polyphosphazenes [S-PPh]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1037 having silicon, e.g. sulfonated crosslinked polydimethylsiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1044 Mixtures of polymers, of which at least one is ionically conductive
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1081 starting from solutions, dispersions or slurries exclusively of polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

The present invention relates to a stabilized biocompatible membrane, solutions useful for producing a stabilized biocompatible membrane and fuel cells which can be produced using a stabilized biocompatible membrane in accordance with the present invention. Biocompatible membranes are produced from synthetic polymer materials which include at least one stabilizing polymer and at least one polypeptide.

Claims

1. A stabilized biocompatible membrane comprising:

at least one layer of a synthetic polymer material having a first side and a second side and at least one polypeptide associated therewith, said polypeptide capable of participating in a chemical reaction, participating in the transporting of molecules, atoms, protons or electrons from said first side of said at least one layer to said second side of said at least one layer, or participating in the formation of molecular structures that facilitate such reactions or transport, and wherein said synthetic polymer material includes at least one stabilizing polymer.

2. The biocompatible membrane of claim 1 wherein said at least one polypeptide can participate in transporting protons from said first side of said at least one layer to said second side of said at least one layer.

3. The biocompatible membrane of claim 2 wherein said at least one polypeptide can participate in transporting protons from said first side of said at least one layer to said second side of said at least one layer and can facilitate the passage of current across said layer to a degree at least greater than that which would using an identical biocompatible membrane without said polypeptide.

4. The biocompatible membrane of claim 3 wherein said at least one polypeptide can participate in transporting protons from said first side of said at least one layer to said second side of said at least one layer so as to be capable of providing at least about 10 picoamps/cm² of current density.

5. The biocompatible membrane of claim 4 wherein said at least one polypeptide can participate in transporting protons from said first side of said at least one layer to said second side of said at least one layer so as to be capable of providing at least about 10 milliamps/cm² of current density.

6. The biocompatible membrane of claim 1 wherein said at least one polypeptide is embedded in said at least one layer.

7. The biocompatible membrane of claim 1 wherein said at least one polypeptide is present in an amount of at least about 0.01% by weight of said biocompatible membrane.

8. The biocompatible membrane of claim 7 wherein said at least one polypeptide is present in an amount of at least about 5% by weight of said biocompatible membrane.

9. The biocompatible membrane of claim 8 wherein said at least one polypeptide is present in an amount of at least about 10% by weight of said biocompatible membrane.

10. The biocompatible membrane of claim 1 wherein said synthetic polymer material includes at least one block copolymer.

11. The biocompatible membrane of claim 10 wherein said at least one block copolymer has a hydrophobic content that exceeds its hydrophilic content.

12. The biocompatible membrane of claim 10 wherein said at least one block copolymer has at least one block having an average molecular weight of between about 1,000 and 15,000 daltons.

13. The biocompatible membrane of claim 12 wherein said at least one block copolymer has at least a second block having an average molecular weight of between about 1,000 and 20,000 daltons.

14. The biocompatible membrane of claim 1 wherein said synthetic polymer material is provided in an amount of at least about 50% by weight based on weight of said biocompatible membrane.

15. The biocompatible membrane of claim 14 wherein said synthetic polymer material is provided in an amount of at least about 50% to about 99% by weight based on weight of said biocompatible membrane.

16. The biocompatible membrane of claim 1, wherein said synthetic polymer material includes a mixture of a plurality of block copolymers.

17. The biocompatible membrane of claim 1 wherein said at least one polypeptide can participate in a redox reaction.

18. The biocompatible membrane of claim 1 wherein said at least one polypeptide has the ability to participate in a redox reaction or the transporting of molecules, atoms, protons or electrons from said first side of said at least one layer to said second side of said at least one layer.

19. The biocompatible membrane of claim 18 wherein said at least one polypeptide has both the ability to participate in a redox reaction and the transporting of molecules, atoms, protons or electrons from said first side of said at least one layer to said second side of said at least one layer.

20. The biocompatible membrane of claim 1 wherein said at least one stabilizing polymer is a polymer capable of forming a plurality of hydrogen bonds.

21. The biocompatible membrane of claim 1 wherein said at least one stabilizing polymer is provided in an amount of up to about 30% based on the weight of said synthetic polymer material.

22. The biocompatible membrane of claim 21 wherein said at least one stabilizing polymer is provided in an amount of between about 5 and about 20% based on the weight of the synthetic polymer material.

23. The biocompatible membrane of claim 1 wherein said at least one stabilizing polymer is hydrophilic.

24. A biocompatible membrane comprising:

at least one layer of a synthetic polymer material having a first side and a second side, said synthetic polymer material being present in an amount of at least about 5% by weight based on weight of the finished membrane and at least one polypeptide embedded therein and being present in an amount of at least about 10% by weight of said biocompatible membrane, said polypeptide having the ability to participate in a redox reaction or in the transporting of protons from said first side of said at least one layer to said second side of said at least one layer and being capable of providing at least about 10 milliamps/cm² of current density, and wherein said synthetic polymer material includes at least one stabilizing polymer.

25. A fuel cell comprising:

an anode compartment including an anode;

a cathode compartment including a cathode; and

disposed within said anode compartment, within said cathode compartment, or between said anode compartment and said cathode compartment, at least one stabilized biocompatible membrane having at least one layer of a synthetic polymer material which includes an anode side and a cathode side and at least one polypeptide associated therewith, said polypeptide capable of participating in a chemical reaction, participating in the transporting of protons from said anode side of said at least one layer to said cathode side of said at least one layer or participating in the formation of molecular structures that facilitate such reactions or transport, and wherein said synthetic polymer material includes at least one stabilizing polymer

26. The fuel cell of claim 25 wherein, when said anode and said cathode are placed into electrical contact though a circuit, 10 milliwatts/cm² are generated.

27. The fuel cell of claim 26 wherein, when said anode and said cathode are placed into electrical contact though a circuit, 50 milliwatts/cm² are generated.

28. The fuel cell of claim 27 wherein, when said anode and said cathode are placed into electrical contact though a circuit, 100 milliwatts/cm² are generated.

29. The fuel cell of claim 25, further comprising:

at least one electron carrier within said anode compartment.

30. The fuel cell of claim 25, further comprising:

at least one second polypeptide within said anode compartment capable of liberating protons or electrons from an electron carrier.

31. The fuel cell of claim 25, further comprising:

at least one transfer mediator within said anode compartment capable of transferring electrons to said anode.

32. The fuel cell of claim 25, wherein said at least one biocompatible membrane is disposed between said anode and said cathode.

33. The fuel cell of claim 25, further comprising:

a dielectric material disposed between said anode and said cathode that will permit the flow of protons from said anode compartment to said cathode compartment.

34. The fuel cell of claim 25, further comprising a first electron transfer mediator disposed in said anode compartment is capable of receiving at least one electron from an electron carrier disposed in said anode compartment and transferring said at least one electron to a second electron carrier, a second electron transfer mediator or said anode.

35. The fuel cell of claim 25, further comprising at least one fuel disposed within said anode compartment.

36. The fuel cell assembly of claim 35, wherein said fuel is an organic compound.

37. The fuel cell of claim 25, wherein said polypeptide has the ability to participate in a redox reaction or in the transporting of protons from said anode side of said at least one layer to said cathode side of said at least one layer.

38. The fuel cell of claim 37, wherein said polypeptide has the ability to participate in both a redox reaction and in the transporting of protons from said anode side of said at least one layer to said cathode side of said at least one layer.

39. A solution useful for producing a biocompatible membrane comprising:

at least one synthetic polymer material, said synthetic polymer material being present in an amount of between about 1 and about 30% w/v, at least one stabilizing polymer present in an amount of up to about 30% by weight of the weight of said synthetic polymer material, at least one polypeptide, in an amount of between at least about 0.001 and about 10.0% w/v said polypeptide capable of participating in a chemical reaction, participating in the transporting molecules, atoms, protons or electrons or participating in the formation of molecular structures that facilitate such reactions or transport, in a solvent system including both organic solvents and water.

40. The solution of claim 39 further comprising:

at least one detergent in an amount of between about 0.01 and about 1.0% v/v.

41. The solution of claim 39, wherein said at least one polypeptide has the ability to participate in a redox reaction or the transporting of protons.

42. The solution of claim 41, wherein said at least one polypeptide has both the ability to participate in a redox reaction and the transporting of protons.

43. The solution of claim 41, wherein said at least one polypeptide has the ability to participate in transporting of protons.

44. The solution of claim 39, wherein said synthetic polymer material includes at least one block copolymer.