System and method for modulating electrical processes in contact with a condensed phase
View Patent ↗A device for interacting with a quantity of a sample, the device, comprising: a substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is opposite to the second surface; an electrically-thin conductive layer disposed on the first surface of the substrate and configured to contact a first portion of the sample; a buried electrode disposed on the second surface of the substrate, the buried electrode being capacitively coupled with the electrically-thin conductive layer; and at least one electrode in contact with a second portion of the sample, wherein the second portion of the sample is remote from the first portion of the sample, and further wherein the at least one electrode and the electrically-thin conductive layer electrically interact via the sample; wherein the substrate is configured such that the substrate does not substantially conduct the flow of electric current through the electrically-thin conductive layer.
1 . A method for interacting with a quantity of a sample, the method comprising:
providing a device comprising:
a substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is opposite to the second surface;
conductive layer disposed on the first surface of the substrate and configured to contact a first portion of the sample;
a buried electrode disposed on the second surface of the substrate, the buried electrode being capacitively coupled with the conductive layer; and
at least one electrode in contact with a second portion of the sample, wherein the second portion of the sample is remote from the first portion of the sample, and further wherein the at least one electrode and the conductive layer electrically interact via the sample;
wherein the substrate is configured such that the substrate does not substantially conduct flow of electric current between the conductive layer and the buried electrode; and
applying electrical signals simultaneously to the buried electrode, the conductive layer, and the at least one electrode in contact with the second portion of the sample, wherein the electrical signals simultaneously applied to the buried electrode, the conductive layer, and the at least one electrode in contact with the second portion of the sample are each independently controlled and time-varying.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer comprises graphene.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample comprises at least one of a solid and a liquid that conducts electrical current as an ionized chemical species.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a dielectric material.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises an ionic conducting material.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing sensed information responsive to a chemical composition of the sample.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising flowing electrical current through the sample to alter a chemical property of the sample.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to interact with the sample in a manner of one selected from the group consisting of a chemical field-effect transistor (ChemFET)-type device, an electrochemical-FET (EChemFET)-type device, and an electrochemical-type device.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a plurality of electrical leads disposed in contact with the conductive layer to form an electrically conducting channel through the conductive layer.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrode comprises at least one reference electrode.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one species of sensitizing chemical species is disposed on a surface of the at least one electrode.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more species of redox active chemical species is disposed on a surface of the at least one electrode.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein functional behavior of the conductive layer in contact with the sample is modulated by simultaneously applying current to the buried electrode and the at least one electrode.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the buried electrode is not in direct physical contact with the sample.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a plurality of electrical leads disposed in contact with the conductive layer to form an electrically conducting channel through the conductive layer; and further comprising measuring electrical properties of the conducting channel as a function of the electrical signals applied simultaneously to the buried electrode, the conductive layer, and the at least one electrode, whereby to determine a chemical property of the sample.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical signals applied simultaneously to the conductive layer, the buried electrode, and the at least one electrode vary periodically over time.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the electrical signals results in modification of at least one of the properties from the group consisting of a charge double layer at an interface between the conductive layer and the sample, a redox potential of the conductive layer, a charge transport dynamics between the conductive layer and the sample, and conductivity within the conductive layer.
18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the electrical signals modulates contributions in dynamics from at least one of the Levich exclusion effect and the Frumkin effect.
19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a layer of redox-active species in contact with the conductive layer and opposite to the sample.
20 . A method for selectively transforming chemical properties of a quantity of a sample, the method comprising:
providing a device comprising:
a substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is opposite to the second surface;
a graphene layer disposed on the first surface of the substrate and configured to contact a first portion of the sample;
a buried electrode disposed on the second surface of the substrate, the buried electrode being capacitively coupled with the graphene layer; and
at least one electrode in contact with a second portion of the sample, wherein the second portion of the sample is remote from the first portion of the sample, and further wherein the at least one electrode and the graphene layer electrically interact via the sample;
wherein the substrate is configured such that the substrate does not substantially conduct flow of electric current between the graphene layer and the buried electrode; and
applying electrical signals simultaneously to the buried electrode, the graphene layer, and the at least one electrode in contact with the second portion of the sample,
wherein the electrical signals simultaneously applied to the buried electrode, the graphene layer, and the at least one electrode in contact with the second portion of the sample are each independently controlled and time varying,
wherein the applied electrical signals modulate charge transfer between the graphene layer and the sample, and
wherein the applied electrical signals induce the Frumkin effect and the Levich exclusion effect.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the substrate comprises a layer of redox-active species in contact with the graphene layer and opposite to the sample.
22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the graphene layer comprises a non-planar geometry.