Sensor devices containing co-polymer substrates for analysis of chemical and biological species in water and air

• US 20050133697A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Ramesh, Narayan, McCloskey, Patrick Joseph, Potyrailo, Radislav Alexandrovich, Surman, Cheryl Margaret
• Application Number:
  US10/745,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20050133697A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/216
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 69/00 Compositions of polycarbonates; Compositions of derivatives of polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/09 adapted to resist hostile environments or corrosive or abrasive materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/766 of gases
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/80 Indicating pH value
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0256 Adsorption, desorption, surface mass change, e.g. on biosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0422 Shear waves, transverse waves, horizontally polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0423 Surface waves, e.g. Rayleigh waves, Love waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/022 Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices microdevices per se B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/036 by measuring frequency or resonance of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/222 Constructional or flow details for analysing fluids optoacoustic fluid cells G01N29/2425
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/00 Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00

Abstract

Sensor devices are disclosed possessing substrates having enhanced resistance to solvents. The sensor device (10) has a sensor region (12) deposited on a substrate (14). In optional embodiments, a protecting layer (16) is applied over the sensor region. The substrates include polycarbonates combined with solvent resistance-imparting monomers that result in a copolycarbonate substrate immune to attack by organic solvents commonly used in sensor deposition and improve the quality of the deposited sensor regions.

Claims

1. A sensor device comprising:

a substrate comprising a polycarbonate combined with at least one solvent resistance-imparting monomer; and

a sensor region comprising an analyte-responsive reagent having a predetermined response upon exposure to an analyte of interest.

2. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the polycarbonate comprises structural units of the formula:

3. The sensor device of claim 2 wherein R comprises an aromatic organic radical of the formula:

-A1-Y-A2-  

 

(II)

wherein each A¹ and A² is a monocyclic divalent aryl radical and Y is a bridging radical in which one or two carbon atoms separate A¹ and A².

4. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the polycarbonate comprises 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane.

5. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the at least one solvent resistance-imparting monomer is selected from the group consisting of hydroquinone, resorcinol, 3-methylhydroquinone, 3-ethylhydroquinone, 3-propylhydroquinone, 3-butylhydroquinone, 3-t-butylhydroquinone, 3-phenylhydroquinone, 3-cumylhydroquinone, 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorohydroquinone and 2,3,5,6-tetrabromohydroquinone.

6. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the amount of solvent resistance-imparting monomer ranges from about 2 to about 90 mol %.

7. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the analyte-responsive reagent is selected from the group consisting of calorimetric reagents, luminescent reagents, chemiluminescent reagents, Raman reagents, surface-enhancement Raman reagents, vacuum UV absorbance reagents, UV-visible light absorbance reagents, and infrared absorbance reagents.

8. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the analyte-responsive reagent is selected from the group consisting of organic molecules, inorganic molecules, inorganic nanoparticles, semiconducting nanoparticles, and metallic nanoparticles.

9. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the sensor region further comprises a support matrix.

10. The sensor device of claim 9 wherein the support matrix is selected from the group consisting of polymers, sol-gels, and biomembranes.

11. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the sensor device further comprises a protecting layer over the sensor region.

12. The sensor device of claim 11 wherein the protecting layer comprises an amorphous fluoropolymer.

13. The sensor device of claim 11 wherein the protecting layer further comprises a polyimide.

14. The sensor device of claim 11 wherein the protecting layer further comprises a hydrogel.

15. The sensor device of claim 11 wherein the protecting layer further comprises a polymer layer which is inert to both a sample solution and the substrate.

16. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the sensor region comprises a thin film having a thickness ranging from about 0.001 to about 1000 micrometers.

17. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the sensor region comprises a thin film having a thickness ranging from about 0.005 to about 500 micrometers.

18. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the sensor region comprises discrete sensor spots.

19. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of optical sensors, acoustic wave sensors, chemical resistors, conductivity sensors, micro-electro-mechanical system sensors, and electrochemical sensors.

20. A sensor device comprising:

a substrate comprising 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane combined with at least one solvent resistance-imparting monomer selected from the group consisting of hydroquinone, resorcinol, 3-methylhydroquinone, 3-ethylhydroquinone, 3-propylhydroquinone, 3-butylhydroquinone, 3-t-butylhydroquinone, 3-phenylhydroquinone, 3-cumylhydroquinone, 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorohydroquinone and 2,3,5,6-tetrabromohydroquinone; and

a sensor region comprising an analyte-responsive reagent having a predetermined response upon exposure to an analyte of interest.

21. The sensor device of claim 20 wherein the amount of solvent resistance-imparting monomer ranges from about 2 to about 90 mol %.

22. The sensor device of claim 20 wherein the analyte-responsive reagent is selected from the group consisting of colorimetric reagents, luminescent reagents, chemiluminescent reagents, vacuum UV absorbance reagents, UV-visible light absorbance reagents, and infrared absorbance reagents.

23. The sensor device of claim 20 wherein the analyte-responsive reagent is selected from the group consisting of organic molecules, inorganic molecules, inorganic nanoparticles, semiconducting nanoparticles, and metallic nanoparticles.

24. The sensor device of claim 20 wherein the sensor region further comprises a support matrix.

25. The sensor device of claim 24 wherein the support matrix is selected from the group consisting of polymers, sol-gels, and biomembranes.

26. The sensor device of claim 20 wherein the sensor device further comprises a protecting layer over the sensor region.

27. The sensor device of claim 26 wherein the protecting layer comprises an amorphous fluoropolymer.

28. The sensor device of claim 26 wherein the protecting layer further comprises a polyimide.

29. The sensor device of claim 26 wherein the protecting layer further comprises a hydrogel.

30. The sensor device of claim 26 wherein the protecting layer further comprises a polymer layer which is inert to both a sample solution and the substrate.

31. The sensor device of claim 20 wherein the sensor region comprises a thin film having a thickness ranging from about 0.001 to about 1000 micrometers.

32. The sensor device of claim 20 wherein the sensor region comprises a thin film having a thickness ranging from about 0.005 to about 500 micrometers.

33. The sensor device of claim 20 wherein the sensor region comprises discrete sensor spots.

34. The sensor device of claim 20 wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of optical sensors, acoustic wave sensors, chemical resistors, conductivity sensors, micro-electro-mechanical system sensors, and electrochemical sensors.