Method of using an array of electrodes for high throughput development and testing of materials

• US 20040100290A1
• Filed: 10/09/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel Buttry, John Pope
• Original Assignee: Daniel Buttry, John Pope
• Inventors: Pope, John, Buttry, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 6,937,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/693
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0046 Sequential or parallel reactions, e.g. for the synthesis of polypeptides or polynucleotides; Apparatus and devices for combinatorial chemistry or for making molecular arrays synthesis methods per se C40B50/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00286 Reactor vessels with top and bottom openings
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00527 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00533 essentially rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00585 Parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0059 Sequential processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00605 the compounds being directly bound or immobilised to solid supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00612 the surface being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00614 Delimitation of the attachment areas
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0063 Other, e.g. van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00637 by coating it with another layer
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00653 the compounds being bound to electrodes embedded in or on the solid supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00675 In-situ synthesis on the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00702 Processes involving means for analysing and characterising the products
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00713 Electrochemical synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00745 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00747 Catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00752 Alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00754 : Metal oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00756 : Compositions, e.g. coatings, crystals, formulations
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 30/08 : by measuring catalytic activity
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/18 : Libraries containing only inorganic compounds or inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 50/14 : Solid phase synthesis, i.e. wherein one or more library building blocks are bound to a solid support during library creation; Particular methods of cleavage from the solid support
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 : for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/403 : Cells and electrode assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/921 : Alloys or mixtures with metallic elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells

Abstract

Methods and apparatus employ the use of arrays (301, 902) of two or more electronically-discrete electrodes (1, 2, 3 . . . ) to facilitate high-throughput preparation and testing of materials comprising two or more elements. High rates of deposition, synthesis and/or analysis of materials are achieved with the use of arrays of electrodes whereby desired materials are developed. The high rate synthesis and/or analysis of an array of materials uses deposition control techniques in conjunction with the electrode array to develop a meaningful array of materials and to analyze the materials for desired characteristics to develop one or more materials with desired characteristics. The use of an array of electrodes enables high-throughput development of materials having scientific and economic advantages.

Claims

1. An apparatus for rapidly applying one or more components of two or more materials to addressable predefined locations on an array of electrodes, the apparatus comprising:

two or more electrodes contained in said array;

an assembly for applying an electrical potential or current from a power source to each electrode, wherein the electrodes are addressable through the assembly, and wherein said one or more components of two or more materials is supplied to the array of electrodes, said electrical potential or current causing the components of the materials to deposit at said addressable predefined locations.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electrodes are the addressable predefined locations.

3. The aparatus of claim 2, wherein the assembly controls the electrical potential or current for each said electrode.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the electrode array contains twenty or more said electrodes.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the electrode array contains one hundred or more said electrodes.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the electrode array contains ten thousand or more said electrodes.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said assembly includes a reference electrode.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the reference electrode is movable to adjust depositions.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said assembly includes a counter electrode.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the counter electrode is movable to adjust depositions.

11. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the array of electrodes includes a highly resistive substrate below said electrodes, a highly conductive material above said highly resistive substrate and around said electrodes, and a second highly resistive material above said highly conductive material and around said electrodes wherein the second highly resistive material does not cover the electrodes.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the array of electrodes is a microelectrode array.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the electrodes are 1 mm or less in diameter.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electrodes are 100 um or less in diameter.

15. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said one or more components of said two or more materials is entrained in a solution when supplied to said assembly.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said one or more components is a kinetically sluggish precursor.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said solution contains one or more passivating agents.

18. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the assembly includes a flow cell, whereby the one or more components of the two or more materials is supplied to the array of said electrodes in varying concentrations of said components.

19. A method of rapidly applying one or more components of two or more materials to addressable predefined locations on an array of electrodes, the method comprising the steps of;

applying a potential to one or more first electrodes on said array of electrodes;

depositing at least said one or more components of the two or more materials onto said one or more first electrodes;

applying a second potential to one or more second electrodes on said array of electrodes;

depositing at least said one or more components of the two or more materials onto said one or more second electrodes, wherein the said one or more components of the two or more materials deposited on the one or more second electrodes varies in composition from the said one or more components of the two or more materials deposited on the one or more first electrodes.

20. A method of rapidly applying one or more components of two or more materials to addressable predefined locations on an array of electrodes, the method comprising the steps of;

varying concentrations of the one or more components of the two or more materials over time;

applying a potential to one or more first electrodes on said array of electrodes;

depositing at least said one or more components of the two or more materials onto said one or more first electrodes;

applying a second potential to one or more second electrodes on said array of electrodes;

depositing at least said one or more components of the two or more materials onto said one or more second electrodes, wherein the said one or more components of the two or more materials deposited on the one or more second electrodes varies in composition from the said one or more components of the two or more materials deposited on the one or more first electrodes

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said one or more components of the two or more materials is supplied by a flow cell.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said applying steps comprise;

adjusting the potential to supply an overpotential whereby the depositing of said one or more components leads to uniform morphologies at each said one or more electrodes.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said applying steps comprise;

controlling the potential at each said one or more electrodes by pulse electrodeposition whereby a depositing potential is applied followed by a resting potential in cycles until said each one or more electrode is deposited with said composition.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said applying steps comprise;

applying a second potential to every other electrode in the array;

whereby the said one or more electrodes not being supplied a depositing potential are supplied a holding potential to prevent exchasnge reactions.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said one or more components are kinetically sluggish precursors.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein said varying step comprises;

moving a reference or counter electrode.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein said depositing steps comprise;

controlling the morphology of each deposit.

28. The methods of claims 21-27, wherein said applying step and said depositing step is repeated one thousand times in rapid sequence whereby at least one thousand different compositions are deposited onto the array of electrodes.

29. A material developed by high rate deposition, synthesis and/or analysis of materials on an array of electrodes.

30. The material in claim 29, wherein deposition control techniques in conjunction with the electrode array are employed whereby a desired characteristic is developed.