Electrochemical sensor ink compositions, electrodes, and uses thereof

• US 20050036020A1
• Filed: 10/24/2003
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LifeScan IP Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Animas Technologies LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Tierney, Michael J., Li, Huawen
• Granted Patent: US 7,189,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/100
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/101 Inks specially adapted for printing processes involving curing by wave energy or particle radiation, e.g. with UV-curing following the printing
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/30 Inkjet printing inks
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/52 Electrically conductive inks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3271 Amperometric enzyme electrodes for analytes in body fluids, e.g. glucose in blood amperometry per se G01N27/49; aspects concerning the enzyme reagent C12Q1/001

Abstract

The invention is directed to conductive polymer compositions, catalytic ink compositions (e.g., for use in screen-printing), electrodes produced by deposition of an ink composition, as well as methods of making, and methods of using such compositions and electrodes. An exemplary ink material comprises a metal catalyst (e.g., platinum black and/or platinum-on-carbon), graphite as a conducting material, a polymer binding material, and an organic solvent. In one aspect, the polymer binding material comprises a polymer binder blend comprising first and second polymers, wherein the first polymer has a glass transition temperature higher than the second polymer. In a second aspect, the polymer binding material comprises a hydrophilic acrylic polymer, copolymer, or terpolymer. The conductive polymer compositions of the present invention may be used, for example, to make electrochemical sensors. Such sensors may be used, for example, in a variety of devices to monitor analyte amount or concentrations in subjects.

Claims

1. A conductive polymer composition comprising:

about 0.01% to about 5% by weight of a transition metal catalyst;

an electrically conductive material; and

a polymer binder blend comprising a first polymer or first polymer mixture, wherein said first polymer or polymers comprising the first polymer mixture have characteristic glass transition temperatures (Tg), and a second polymer having a characteristic Tg, wherein the Tg of said first polymer or at least one of the polymers comprising the first polymer mixture is higher than the Tg of said second polymer, with the proviso that when, in a polymer binder blend, the first polymer, or any polymer of the first polymer mixture, and the second polymer are the same copolymer, with different molecular weights, neither (i) the first polymer, or any polymer of the first polymer mixture, nor (ii) the second polymer comprise styrene, alkyl styrene, cycloaklystyrene or hydroxystyrene monomers.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein said polymer binder blend consists essentially of the first polymer and the second polymer.

3. The composition of claim 2, wherein said second polymer is an acrylic polymer, copolymer, or terpolymer.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein said first polymer, or said first polymer mixture, and said second polymer comprise thermoplastic polymers.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the transition metal catalyst is selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium, and rhodium.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the catalyst comprises platinum on graphite.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein said first polymer, or polymers comprising the first polymer mixture, is selected from the group consisting of poly (methyl methacrylate), PMMA;

poly (styrene methyl methacrylate), PSMMA;

poly (styrene acylonitrile), SAN; and

poly (acylonitrile butadiene styrene), ABS.

8. The composition of claim 5, wherein said second polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly (methyl methacrylate), PMMA;

poly (styrene methyl methacrylate), PSMMA;

poly (styrene acylonitrile), SAN; and

poly (acylonitrile butadiene styrene), ABS.

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein said polymer binder blend comprises a first polymer mixture and said second polymer comprises an acrylic polymer, copolymer, or terpolymer.

10. The composition of claim 9, wherein the acrylic polymer, copolymer, or terpolymer (i) is hydrophilic and (ii) comprises acrylic acid monomers that comprise additional hydrophilic functional groups on the α

-carbon of the acrylic acid backbone, β

-carbon of the acrylic acid backbone, the pendant carboxyl-group on the α

-carbon of the acrylic acid backbone, or combinations thereof.

11. The composition of claim 1, wherein the conductive material is selected from the group consisting of synthetic graphite, pyrolytic graphite, and natural graphite.

12. An electrode comprising the conductive polymer composition of claim 1 on a non-conducting substrate.

13. A conductive polymer composition comprising:

about 0.01% to about 5% by weight of a transition metal catalyst;

an electrically conductive material; and

a polymer binder comprising a hydrophilic, acrylic polymer, copolymer, or terpolymer.

14. The composition of claim 13, wherein the hydrophilic, acrylic polymer, copolymer, or terpolymer comprises acrylic acid monomers comprising additional hydrophilic functional groups on the α

-carbon of the acrylic acid backbone, β

-carbon of the acrylic acid backbone, the pendant carboxyl-group on the α

-carbon of the acrylic acid backbone, or combinations thereof.

15. The composition of claim 13, wherein the transition metal catalyst is selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium, and rhodium.

16. The composition of claim 13, wherein the catalyst comprises platinum on graphite.

17. The composition of claim 13, wherein said polymer is a hydrophilic, acrylic copolymer or terpolymer comprising acrylate and/or alkylacrylate monomers comprising functional groups selected from the group consisting of amino, hydroxy, and carboxy.

18. The composition of claim 17, wherein the copolymer or terpolymer comprises about 0% to about 99% weight, based on the total weight of said copolymer or terpolymer, of moieties resulting from the polymerization of monomers comprising the functional groups with other monomers free of hydroxy, carboxy, and amino functional groups to form copolymers or terpolymers.

19. The composition of claim 13, wherein the conductive material is selected from the group consisting of synthetic graphite, pyrolytic graphite, and natural graphite.

20. An electrode comprising the conductive polymer composition of claim 13 on a non-conducting substrate.