Conducting polymer nanowire sensors

• US 20060207878A1
• Filed: 10/25/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Chen, Wilfred, Myung, Nosang V., Mulchandani, Ashok
• Granted Patent: US 8,034,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/403.90
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5436 with ligand physically entrapped within the solid phase liposomes G01N33/5432; immunological test elements G01N33/54386
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5438 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/957 Of chemical property or presence

Abstract

Conducting polymer nanowires can be doped with analyte-binding species to create a nanowire that has a different conductivity depending on the presence or absence of the analyte.

Claims

1. A doped conducting polymer material for detecting an analyte, the doped conducting polymer material comprising an analyte-binding species incorporated into a conducting polymer material;

wherein

the analyte-binding species is capable of binding to an analyte; and

wherein an electrical characteristic of the doped conducting polymer material in contact with a composition comprising the analyte is different from the electrical characteristic of the doped conducting polymer material in contact with a composition substantially free of the analyte.

2. The doped conducting polymer material of claim 1, wherein:

the analyte-binding species and analyte are selected from the group consisting of natural and synthetic antibodies and antibody fragments and their corresponding antigens;

natural and synthetic proteins and protein fragments and their corresponding ligands;

receptors and their ligands;

natural and synthetic polynucleotide and oligonucleotide sequences and their complementary sequences;

single and multiple strand, natural and synthetic nucleic acids and species binding to such single and multiple strand nucleic acids; and

DNA aptamers and their ligands.

3. The doped conducting polymer material of claim 1, wherein the conducting polymer material is polyacetylene, polyaniline, polythiophene, polypyrrole, polyarylene, polyphenylene, poly(bisthiophenephenylene), poly-methylpyrrole, conjugated ladder polymer, poly(arylene vinylene), poly(arylene ethynylene), various organic derivatives of these polymers, organometallic derivatives of these polymers, or inorganic derivatives of these polymers.

4. The doped conducting polymer material of claim 1, wherein the polymer material is polypyrrole.

5. The doped conducting polymer material of claim 4, wherein the analyte-binding species is avidin or a derivative of avidin.

6. The doped conducting polymer material of claim 5, wherein the analyte is biotin or a derivative of biotin.

7. The doped conducting polymer material of claim 1, wherein

the composition to be contacted with the doped conducting polymer material is a solid composition,

a gaseous composition,

a powdered solid composition, or

an aerosolized composition.

8. The doped conducting polymer material of claim 1, wherein the electrical characteristic is the resistance.

9. A device for detecting an analyte, the device comprising

first and second electrodes;

one or more doped conducting polymer nanowires connecting the first and second electrodes, and a circuit for monitoring an electrical characteristic between the first and second electrodes;

wherein the one or more doped conducting polymer nanowires are made of a doped conducting polymer material comprising an analyte-binding species incorporated into a conducting polymer material;

wherein the analyte-binding species is capable of binding to an analyte; and

wherein the electrical characteristic of the doped conducting polymer material in contact with a composition comprising the analyte is different from the electrical characteristic of the doped conducting polymer material not in contact with a composition substantially free of the analyte.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein

the analyte-binding species and analyte are selected from the group consisting of natural and synthetic antibodies and antibody fragments and their corresponding antigens;

natural and synthetic proteins and protein fragments and their corresponding ligands;

receptors and their ligands;

natural and synthetic polynucleotide and oligonucleotide sequences and their complementary sequences;

single and multiple strand, natural and synthetic nucleic acids and species binding to such single and multiple strand nucleic acids; and

DNA aptamers and their ligands.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the conducting polymer material is selected a polyacetylene, polyaniline, polythiophene, polypyrrole, polyarylene, polyphenylene, poly(bisthiophenephenylene), poly-methylpyrrole, conjugated ladder polymer, poly(arylene vinylene), poly(arylene ethynylene), various organic derivatives of these polymers, organometallic derivatives of these polymers, or inorganic derivatives of these polymers.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the polymer material is polypyrrole.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the analyte-binding species is avidin or a derivative of avidin.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the analyte is biotin or a derivative of biotin.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein

the composition to be contacted with the doped conducting polymer material is a solid composition,

a gaseous composition,

a powdered solid composition, or

an aerosolized composition.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the electrical characteristic is the resistance.

17. A method for making a conducting polymer nanowire, the method comprising placing in a space between a first and second electrode a composition comprising

a conducting polymer monomer polymerizable by electrochemical polymerization;

causing a current to flow between the first and second electrodes, thereby causing the composition to polymerize and form a conducting polymer nanowire;

monitoring the potential of one or more of the electrodes; and

removing the current between the first and second electrodes when the monitored potential drops to approximately zero, indicating formation of a conducting polymer nanowire connecting the first and second electrodes.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein

the conducting polymer monomer is a monomer that upon electrochemical polymerization gives polyacetylene, polyaniline, polythiophene polypyrrole, polyarylene, polyphenylene, poly(bisthiophenephenylene), polymethylpyrrole, conjugated ladder polymer, poly(arylene vinylene), poly(arylene ethynylene), various organic derivatives of these polymers, organometallic derivatives of these polymers, or inorganic derivatives of these polymers.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the conducting polymer monomer is a monomer that upon electrochemical polymerization gives polypyrrole.

20. A method for making a doped conducting polymer nanowire, the method comprising

placing in a space between a first and second electrode a composition comprising a conducting polymer monomer polymerizable by electrochemical polymerization and a dopant species;

causing a current to flow between the first and second electrodes, thereby causing the composition to polymerize and form a doped conducting polymer nanowire;

monitoring the potential of one or more of the electrodes; and

removing the current between the first and second electrodes when the monitored potential drops to approximately zero, indicating formation of a doped conducting polymer nanowire connecting the first and second electrodes.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the dopant species is an analyte-binding species capable of binding to an analyte;

and wherein an electrical characteristic of the doped conducting polymer nanowire in contact with a composition comprising the analyte is different from the electrical characteristic of the doped conducting polymer nanowire in contact with a composition substantially free of the analyte.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein

the analyte-binding species and analyte are selected from the group consisting of natural and synthetic antibodies and antibody fragments and their corresponding antigens;

natural and synthetic proteins and protein fragments and their corresponding ligands;

receptors and their ligands;

natural and synthetic polynucleotide and oligonucleotide sequences and their complementary sequences;

single and multiple strand, natural and synthetic nucleic acids and species binding to such single and multiple strand nucleic acids; and

DNA aptamers and their ligands.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the conducting polymer monomer is a monomer that upon electrochemical polymerization gives polyacetylene, polyaniline, polythiophene, polypyrrole, polyarylene, polyphenylene, poly(bisthiophenephenylene), polymethylpyrrole, conjugated ladder polymer, poly(arylene vinylene), poly(arylene ethynylene), various organic derivatives of these polymers, organometallic derivatives of these polymers, or inorganic derivatives of these polymers.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the conducting polymer monomer is a monomer that upon electrochemical polymerization gives polypyrrole.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the analyte-binding species is avidin or a derivative of avidin.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the analyte is biotin or a derivative of biotin.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the composition comprising

to be contacted with the doped conducting polymer material is a solid composition,

a gaseous composition,

a powdered solid composition, or

an aerosolized composition.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the electrical characteristic is the resistance.

29. A method for making a device for detecting an analyte, the method comprising

forming a doped conducting polymer nanowire by the method of claim 21;

and

providing a circuit for monitoring an electrical characteristic between the first and second electrodes.

30. A method for detecting an analyte, the method comprising

contacting a test composition for which it is to be determined whether the composition comprises an analyt with a doped conducting polymer nanowire comprising

an analyte-binding species incorporated into a conducting polymer material;

and

monitoring an electrical characteristic of the doped conducting polymer nanowire;

wherein

the analyte-binding species is capable of binding to the analyte; and

wherein the electrical characteristic of the doped conducting polymer nanowire in contact with a test composition comprising the analyte is different from the electrical characteristic of the doped conducting polymer material in contact with a test composition not comprising the analyte.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the analyte-binding species and analyte are selected from the group consisting of

natural and synthetic antibodies and antibody fragments and their corresponding antigens;

natural and synthetic proteins and protein fragments and their corresponding ligands;

receptors and their ligands;

natural and synthetic polynucleotide and oligonucleotide sequences and their complementary sequences;

single and multiple strand, natural and synthetic nucleic acids and species binding to such single and multiple strand nucleic acids; and

DNA aptamers and their ligands.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the conducting polymer material is polyacetylene, polyaniline, polythiophene, polypyrrole, polyarylene, polyphenylene, poly(bisthiophenephenylene), poly-methylpyrrole, conjugated ladder polymer, poly(arylene vinylene), poly(arylene ethynylene), various organic derivatives of these polymers, organometallic derivatives of these polymers, or inorganic derivatives of these polymers.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the polymer material is polypyrrole.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the analyte-binding species is avidin or a derivative of avidin.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the analyte is biotin or a derivative of biotin.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the test composition is a solid composition, a gaseous composition, a powdered solid composition, or an aerosolized composition.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein the electrical characteristic is the resistance.

38. The method of claim 30, wherein the doped conducting polymer nanowire connects a first and second electrode;

and the electrical characteristic of the doped conducting polymer nanowire is monitored by a circuit for monitoring the resistance between the first and second electrode.