Electrochemical treatment of surfaces

• US 5,667,667 A
• Filed: 07/18/1996
• Issued: 09/16/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oxford Gene Technology IP Limited (Sysmex Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Isis Innovation Limited
• Inventors: Southern, Edwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Phasge, Arun S.
• Application Number:
  US08/660,946
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 205/687, 205/688, 205/698, 205/699, 205/766, 204/267, 204/412
• US Class Current: 205/687
• 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 2219/0043 for direct application of reagents, e.g. through openings in a shutter
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00527 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00531 essentially square
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00605 the compounds being directly bound or immobilised to solid supports
• 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 2219/00653 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 2219/00713 Electrochemical synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: C07H 21/00 Compounds containing two or more mononucleotide units having separate phosphate or polyphosphate groups linked by saccharide radicals of nucleoside groups, e.g. nucleic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/06 Libraries containing nucleotides or polynucleotides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 for creating libraries

Abstract

A method of electrochemically patterning a surface comprises providing an electrolyte overlying the surface and an array of electrodes adjacent the surface and in contact with the electrolyte, and altering the potential of one or more electrodes of the array so as to deposit or remove or chemically modify a substance on the surface adjacent the electrode. Several such treatments can be performed in sequence, using different electrodes of the array. The method is particularly suitable for step-wise chemical synthesis e.g. of oligonucleotides or other oligomers tethered to the surface. Electrode arrays for use in the method are also claimed.

Claims

1. A method of treating a region of a surface, which method comprises providing an electrolyte overlying the surface, and an array of electrodes adjacent the surface and in contact with the electrolyte, and altering the potential of one or more of the electrodes of the array so as to deposit or chemically modify a substance on the surface at the regions adjacent those electrodes, wherein one or more of the electrodes of the array are used as counter-electrodes, and the surface to be modified does not form either an electrode or a counter-electrode.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, for the purpose of performing several electrochemical treatments in sequence, the electrodes of the array are connected up so that each treatment is performed by altering the potential of a chosen set of one or more of the electrodes of the array.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the or each treatment is performed in the course of a stepwise chemical synthesis of an oligomer.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the or each treatment is performed by connecting at least one electrode of the array as anode at a potential to remove an acid labile protecting group from a substance on the surface.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface is electrically insulating.

6. A method of synthesizing a set of oligomers on a surface, by the steps of:

a) providing a surface carrying a protecting group, an electrolyte overlying the surface and one or more electrodes adjacent regions of the surface and in contact with the electrolyte,

b) altering the potential of one or more electrodes to remove the protecting group at one or more chosen regions of the surface,

c) depositing a protected monomer at those regions of the surface from which protecting group has been removed,

d) and repeating steps b) and c), while varying the region chosen in step b), so as to synthesize a set of oligomers on the surface.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the oligomers are oligonucleotides.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein there is provided in a) an array of electrodes adjacent the surface and in contact with the electrolyte, and the potential of one or more of the electrodes of the array is altered in b).

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, where one or more of the electrodes of the array are used as counter-electrodes.

10. A device comprising an array of electrodes in a form of a block of insulating material having a first surface provided with electrodes spaced apart in an array;

electrical conducting means for altering the potential of each said electrode;

a body having a second surface to be electrochemically modified, which second surface is electrically insulating; and

means for holding the said block of insulating material in spaced relationship with the said body, with the first surface overlying the second surface so as to define therebetween a region for containing electrolyte.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the block of insulating material is of an oxide ceramic and the electrodes are of a noble metal.

12. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the electrodes are in the form of parallel lines.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the parallel lines are spaced apart by no more than 0.5 mm.