Switchable surfaces

• US 20060263033A1
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Langer, Robert S., Lahann, Joerg, Mitragotri, Samir S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,648,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/147
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 15/20 relating to the conditioning of the sorbent material
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 15/3861 using an external stimulus
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/286 Phases chemically bonded to a substrate, e.g. to silica or to polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/3204 Inorganic carriers, supports or substrates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/3208 Polymeric carriers, supports or substrates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/3225 involving a post-treatment of the coated or impregnated product
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/3251 comprising at least two different types of heteroatoms selected from nitrogen, oxygen or sulphur
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/3285 Coating or impregnation layers comprising different type of functional groups or interactions, e.g. different ligands in various parts of the sorbent, mixed mode, dual zone, bimodal, multimodal, ionic or hydrophobic, cationic or anionic, hydrophilic or hydrophobic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00432 Photolithographic masks
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0822 Slides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/089 Virtual walls for guiding liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0688 surface tension valves, capillary stop, capillary break
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5027 by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502792 for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering surface tension
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5088 confining liquids at a location by surface tension, e.g. virtual wells on plates, wires B01L3/50857 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/185 applying monomolecular layers B05D1/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/04 to obtain a surface receptive to ink or other liquid B05D5/02, B41M5/52 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/08 to obtain an anti-friction or anti-adhesive surface rendering particulate materials free-flowing in general, e.g. making them hydrophobic B01J2/30
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/16 by wave energy or particle radiation , e.g. infrared heating B29C59/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41C 1/1041 : by modification of the lithographic properties without removal or addition of material, e.g. by the mere generation of a lithographic pattern
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 : Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 : for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 2099/0074 : using photolithography, e.g. etching
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 2099/0084 : Chemistry or biology, e.g. "lab-on-a-chip" technology
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 2099/0086 : Medical applications
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0001 : Microvalves microdevices B81B1/00; manufacture or treatment of devices or systems in or on a substrate B81C1/00; microfluidic structures B01L3/5027; micropumps F04B19/006
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0017 : Capillary or surface tension valves, e.g. using electro-wetting or electro-capillarity effects
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0034 : Operating means specially adapted for microvalves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0036 : operated by temperature variations
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/004 : using radiation
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0042 : Electric operating means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0046 : using magnets
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0051 : using electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/00 : Investigating or analysing materials by separation into components using adsorption, absorption or similar phenomena or using ion-exchange, e.g. chromatography or field flow fractionation G01N3/00, G01N5/00, G01N7/00, G01N9/00, G01N11/00, G01N13/00, G01N15/00, G01N17/00, G01N19/00, G01N21/00, G01N22/00, G01N23/00, G01N24/00, G01N25/00, G01N27/00, G01N29/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3522 : the optical element enabling or impairing total internal reflection using evanescent coupling G02B6/3536
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3538 : based on displacement or deformation of a liquid controlling the intensity of light by displacement or deformation of a fluid in general G02B26/004; fluid-filled lens of variable focal length G02B3/14
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/355 : 1x2 switch, i.e. one input and a selectable single output of two possible outputs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3568 : characterised by the actuating force
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/357 : Electrostatic force electrostatic forces controlling reflecting elements in general G02B26/0841
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0045 : Recording G11B7/006, G11B7/0065 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0014 : comprising cells based on organic memory material
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0019 : comprising bio-molecules
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/14 : Use of different molecule structures as storage states, e.g. part of molecule being rotated
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04119 : with simultaneous supply or evacuation of electrolyte; Humidifying or dehumidifying
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04291 : Arrangements for managing water in solid electrolyte fuel cell systems H01M8/04119 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0662 : Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells

Abstract

A substrate having a surface with reversibly switchable properties. The surface comprises a nanolayer of a material that switches from a first conformation stateto a second conformation state when an external stimulus is applied. When the nanolayer is in the first conformation state, the surface is characterized by a first property, and when the nanolayer is in the second conformation state, the surface is characterized by a second property.

Claims

1-59. -59. (canceled)

60. A method of reversibly modifying a property of a surface, comprising:

depositing a nanolayer of a material on at least a first portion of a substrate; and

applying an external stimulus to the nanolayer, wherein;

when the stimulus is applied, the nanolayer shifts from a first adsorption affinity to a second adsorption affinity, wherein the affinity is for an entity that adsorbs onto the surface.

61. The method of claim 60, further comprising causing the nanolayer to shift from the second adsorption affinity to the first adsorption affinity.

62. The method of claim 60, wherein the affinity is for adsorption of a member of a surfactant, water, a predetermined analyte, a biomolecule, a small molecule, and a bioactive agent.

63. The method of claim 60, further comprising depositing a second nanolayer on a second portion of the substrate.

64. A substrate having a surface with reversibly switchable properties, the surface comprising:

a nanolayer of a material characterized in that, when an external stimulus is applied, the nanolayer switches from a first adsorption affinity to a second adsorption affinity , wherein the affinity is for an entity that adsorbs onto the surface.

65. The substrate of claim 64, wherein the affinity is for adsorption of a member of a surfactant, water, a predetermined analyte, a biomolecule, a small molecule, and a bioactive agent.

66. The substrate of claim 64, wherein the external stimulus causes a redistribution of the electron density within the nanolayer.

67. A biosensor comprising the substrate of claim 64.

68. A medium for chromatographic separation comprising the substrate of claim 64.

71. A switch for a waveguide disposed at a junction between an incoming waveguide and first and second outgoing waveguides, the switch comprising:

a chamber having a surface and containing a liquid and a gas and an interface between them, wherein;

the surface comprises the substrate of claim 64,

when the nanolayer has one of the first or second adsorption affinity, light can pass through the liquid from the incoming waveguide to the first outgoing waveguide, and

when the material has the other of the first or second adsorption affinity, light from the incoming waveguide is reflected off the liquid-gas interface and directed into the second outgoing waveguide.

69. A self assembled monolayer comprising an area-per-molecule of 6.756 nm².

70. The self assembled monolayer of claim 69, wherein the monolayer comprises 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid.