Arrays of electrodes coated with molecules and their production

• US 20060151324A1
• Filed: 10/09/2003
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cambridge University (Government of United Kingdom)
• Original Assignee: Cambridge University (Government of United Kingdom)
• Inventors: Davies, Alexander Giles, Middleberg, Anton Peter Jacob, Wirtz, Rene, Walti, Christoph, Pepper, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,887,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/484
• 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 2219/00427 using masks
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/005 Beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00529 DNA chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00608 DNA chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00612 the surface being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00626 Covalent
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00637 by coating it with another layer
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00648 by the use of solid beads
• 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 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6837 using probe arrays or probe chips C12Q1/6874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/607 being a sensor, e.g. electrode
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/06 Libraries containing nucleotides or polynucleotides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 for creating libraries

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of forming coatings of at least two different coating molecules on at least two electrodes, the method comprising: (a) providing an array of at least two individually-addressable electrodes, (b) allowing a layer of a masking molecule to adsorb onto all electrodes, (c) inducing electrochemical desorption of the masking molecule from at least one but not all electrodes to expose a first set of exposed electrodes, (d) allowing a first coating molecule to adsorb onto the first set of exposed electrodes, (e) exposing all electrodes to a masking molecule to allow adsorption of the masking molecule onto all electrodes, (f) inducing electrochemical desorption of masking molecule from a second set of electrodes to expose a second set of exposed electrodes, (g) allowing a second coating molecule to adsorb onto the second set of exposed electrodes.

Claims

1. A method of forming coatings of at least two different coating molecules on at least two electrodes, the method comprising:

(a) providing an array of at least two individually-addressable electrodes,

(b) allowing a layer of a masking molecule to adsorb onto all electrodes,

(c) inducing electrochemical desorption of the masking molecule from at least one but not all electrodes to expose a first set of exposed electrodes,

(d) allowing a first coating molecule to adsorb onto the first set of exposed electrodes,

(e) exposing all electrodes to a masking molecule to allow adsorption of the masking molecule onto all electrodes,

(f) inducing electrochemical desorption of masking molecule from a second set of electrodes to expose a second set of exposed electrodes,

(g) allowing a second coating molecule to adsorb onto the second set of exposed electrodes.

2. The method according to claim 1 in which the array comprises at least 10 individually-addressable electrodes.

3. The method according to claim 1 comprising repeating steps (c) to (e) at least 8 times so as to form coatings of at least 10 different coating molecules on at least 10 different sets of electrodes.

4. The method according to claim 1 in which the diameter of each electrode is not more than 50 μ

m.

5. The method according to claim 1 in which the separation between electrodes is not more than 30 μ

m.

6. The method according to claim 1 in which the electrodes are metal electrodes and the masking molecules and the coating molecules are thiolated.

7. The method according to claim 1 in which the coating molecules are macromolecules having molecular weight of at least 500.

8. The method according to claim 1 in which the coating molecules are oligonucleotides modified with a functional group capable of adsorbing onto the electrodes.

9. The method according to claim 8 additionally comprising providing nanoparticles functionalised with oligonucleotides complementary to the oligonucleotide coating molecules and allowing the strands to hybridise.

10. The method according to claim 1 in which the coating molecules are polypeptides modified with a functional group capable of adsorbing onto the electrodes.

11. The method according to claim 1 in which step (b), step (d) or both also comprise application of an AC or DC electric field in order to induce orientation of the molecules being adsorbed.

12. The method according to claim 1 comprising controlling the potential of electrodes from which desorption is not required in steps (c), step (f) or both so as to prevent desorption from those electrodes.

13. The method according to claim 1 comprising application of an AC or DC potential to the electrodes onto which adsorption is required in step (b), step (e), step (g) or any combination of these.

14. An array of at least 3 sets of individually-addressable electrodes, each set having adsorbed thereon a different coating molecule, the minimum distance between electrodes being not more than 900 nanometres.