Wettability switch

• US 8,257,562 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2004
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acreo AB
• Original Assignee: Acreo AB
• Inventors: Isaksson, Joakim, Berggren, Magnus, Robinson, Nathaniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilkins, III, Harry D
• Application Number:
  US10/581,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20080223717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,833 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 204/230.2
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0427 Electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0688 surface tension valves, capillary stop, capillary break
• 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: 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: C08G 73/0266 Polyanilines or derivatives thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wettability switch that comprises an electrochemically active element having a wetting surface with switchable wetting properties. The electrochemically active element comprises an electrochemically active polymer, and surface active molecules each having a lyophobic portion and a lyophilic portion. In the wettability switch, each of said surface active molecules exposes one of said lyophobic portion and said lyophilic portion towards said wetting surface, and the identity of said portion depends on an electrochemical state of said polymer.

Claims

1. A wettability switch, including an electrolyte element, and an electrochemically active element having a wetting surface with switchable wetting properties, said electrochemically active element comprising:

an electrochemically active polymer, and

surface active molecules each having a lyophobic portion and a lyophilic portion,

wherein the electrochemically active element and the electrolyte element are in contact with each other, and are configured to exchange ions when exposed to an electric potential whereby a redox state of said electrochemically active polymer is altered, and

wherein each of said surface active molecules exposes one of said lyophobic portion and said lyophilic portion towards said wetting surface, an identity of said one of said lyophobic portion and said lyophilic portion depending on a redox state of said electrochemically active polymer.

2. The wettability switch according to claim 1, further comprising an electrochemically active surface susceptible to electrochemistry.

3. The wettability switch according to claim 2, wherein said electrochemically active surface and said wetting surface are separate from each other.

4. The wettability switch according to claim 3, wherein said electrochemically active surface and said wetting surface are on essentially opposite sides of said electrochemically active element.

5. The wettability switch according to claim 2, wherein said electrochemically active surface and said wetting surface are spatially overlapping.

6. The wettability switch according to claim 1, whereby said electrochemically active element and said electrolyte element constitute an electrochemical system.

7. The wettability switch according to claim 6, wherein said electrolyte element is a solid electrolyte element.

8. The wettability switch according to claim 1, further comprising electrode circuitry formed of essentially same material as said electrochemically active element.

9. The wettability switch according to claim 1, further comprising electrode circuitry formed of a material including a metal.

10. The wettability according to claim 1, further comprising a transistor interconnected with said electrochemically active element, and configured to control a drive potential.

11. The wettability switch according to claim 10, wherein said transistor is formed of an electrochemically active polymer material.

12. The wettability switch according to claim 1, wherein the electrochemically active polymer is a film or a layer having two opposing surfaces, and

wherein said wetting surface is on at least one of said two opposing surfaces.

13. The wettability switch according to claim 1, wherein said electrochemically active element is an electrically conductive polymer, and

wherein said surface active molecules are doped in the electrically conductive polymer, and act as counter-ions in an electrochemical region in said electrochemically active polymer.

14. The wettability switch according to claim 13, wherein the electrochemically active polymer is a film or a layer having two opposing surfaces, and

wherein said wetting surface is on at least one of said two opposing surfaces.

15. A wettability switch array, comprising:

at least two wettability switches according to claim 1, wherein the at least two wetting surfaces are separately controllable.

16. A cylindrical wettability device, comprising:

a plurality of wettability switches according to claim 1, wherein each electrochemically active element is arranged circumferentially around an updatable cylinder; and

an electrolyte cylinder having a surface covered with an electrolyte, wherein said updatable cylinder and said electrolyte cylinder rotate in contact with each other.

17. A printing plate, comprising:

the wettability switch according to claim 1.

18. A microfluidic device, comprising:

the wettability switch according to claim 1.

19. The microfluidic device according to claim 18, wherein the wetting surface of said wettability switch is configured to receive and carry a liquid both when said surface active molecules expose said one of said lyophobic portion and said lyophilic portion towards said wetting surface.

20. A cell-growth device, comprising:

the wettability switch according to claim 1.