Method allowing sequential chemical reactions
First Claim
1. A method for conducting a sequential chemical reaction, comprising:
- immobilizing a first reactant at an electrode defining a reaction locus;
electrophorectically introducing at least one additional reactant to be reaction locus;
electrolytically activating a reaction between the first reactant and the additional reactant; and
removing any remaining additional reactant or a reaction by-product resulting from the reaction between the first reactant and the additional reactant, by energizing an electrode remote from the electrode defining the reaction locus which electrolytically attracts the remaining additional reactant from the reaction locus.
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Abstract
A first reactant is immobilized i.e. in a porous matrix (50), adjacent a sample electrode (46) within a reaction chamber. Energizing of the electrode (46) electrophoretically attracts a mobile second reactant and/or electrolytically induces appropriate reaction conditions to enhance reaction of the first and second reactants. Polarity reversals between the sample electrode (46) and remote electrodes (38), (42), (44) cause unreacted second reactant and/or by-products to migrate away from the immobilized first reactant. The techniques are useful for sequential chemical reactions such as sequencing or construction of proteins, polysaccharides and nucleic acids where cyclical additions and removals of reactants are required. The techniques are amenable to automated micro and nano scale construction and operation and allow direct electrophoretic (38) interfacing with chromatographic, HPCE and mass spectrophotometric equipment.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for conducting a sequential chemical reaction, comprising:
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immobilizing a first reactant at an electrode defining a reaction locus; electrophorectically introducing at least one additional reactant to be reaction locus; electrolytically activating a reaction between the first reactant and the additional reactant; and removing any remaining additional reactant or a reaction by-product resulting from the reaction between the first reactant and the additional reactant, by energizing an electrode remote from the electrode defining the reaction locus which electrolytically attracts the remaining additional reactant from the reaction locus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification