Method of combing an elongated molecule
View Patent ↗Elongated molecules are stretched across a substrate by controlled fluid flow.
1. A method of applying an elongated molecule to a surface, comprising:
controllably flowing a solution containing an elongated molecule over the first substrate in a manner that promotes stretching of the elongated molecule from a defined physical feature along the first substrate; and
transferring the stretched elongated molecule to a second substrate,
wherein the elongated molecule is selected from the group consisting of polymers, nanotubes, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and functionalized forms of any of the above.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongated molecule is a polymer selected from the group consisting of isotactic polymers, atactic polymers, stereotactic polymers, thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers, copolymers, block copolymers, organic polymers, inorganic polymers, polyamides, polyesters, polycarbonates, polyethers, polyimides, polyimines, formaldehydes, polysulfones, polyurethanes, polyvinyls, polyolefins, and polyalkynes.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongated molecule is a protein selected from the group consisting of antibodies, enzymes, hormones, structural proteins, regulatory proteins, filamentous proteins, soluble proteins, motor proteins, denatured proteins, and polypeptides.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongated molecule is a carbohydrate selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, starches, glycogens, cellulose, amylose, and chitin.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongated molecule is a lipid selected from the group consisting of fatty acids, glycerides, phosphoglycerides, sphingolipids, steroids, waxes, lipoproteins, and glycolipids.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the defined physical feature is a depression.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the defined physical feature is a protrusion.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a conductive material to the stretched elongated molecule.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring the stretched elongated molecule comprises bringing the first substrate in proximity to the second substrate.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring the stretched elongated molecule comprises bringing the first substrate into contact with the second substrate.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising controlling a surface charge of the second substrate, wherein the surface charge acts to attract the elongated molecule to the second substrate.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising controlling a surface charge of the first substrate, wherein the surface charge acts to attract the elongated molecule to the first substrate.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling a surface charge of the first substrate, wherein the surface charge acts to repel the elongated molecule from the first substrate.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising controlling a surface charge of the second substrate, wherein the surface charge acts to attract the elongated molecule to the second substrate.
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising controlling a surface charge of the second substrate, wherein the surface charge acts to repel the elongated molecule from the second substrate.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring the stretched elongated molecule comprises controlling surface energy of at least one of the first and second substrates.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring the stretched elongated molecule comprises controlling temperature of at least one of the first and second substrates.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring the stretched elongated molecule comprises controlling hydrophilicity of at least one of the first and second substrates.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second substrate comprises an electronic device, and wherein the transferred elongated molecule is in electrical communication with the electronic device.
20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising attaching an electronic device to the transferred elongated molecule.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein controllably flowing comprises controlling a surface charge of the first substrate, wherein the surface charge is spatially patterned.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein controllably flowing comprises controlling a surface charge of the first substrate, wherein the surface charge is dynamic.
23. The method of claim 1 , wherein controllably flowing comprises controlling a surface charge of the first substrate, wherein the surface charge is static.
24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate comprises surface features that spatially direct the fluid flow.
25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate comprises a plurality of micro-orifices, and wherein controllably flowing further comprises flowing a fluid through at least a subset of the micro-orifices.
26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate comprises a plurality of switchable channels, and wherein controllably flowing further comprises switching at least a subset of the switchable channels.
27. The method of claim 1 , wherein controllably flowing comprises directing fluid flow by controlling hydrophilicity of the first substrate.
28. The method of claim 1 , wherein controllably flowing comprises varying the temperature of the solution.
29. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a cover surface to the solution.
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein controllably flowing comprises moving the cover surface relative to the first substrate to induce fluid flow in the solution.
31. The method of claim 30 , wherein moving the cover surface relative to the first substrate comprises peeling the cover surface away from the first substrate.
32. The method of claim 30 , wherein moving the cover surface relative to the first substrate comprises sliding the cover surface along the first substrate.
33. The method of claim 29 , wherein at least one of the cover surface and the first substrate comprises surface features that spatially direct the fluid flow.
34. The method of claim 29 , wherein the surface features that spatially direct the fluid flow comprise a plurality of micro-orifices, and wherein controllably flowing further comprises flowing a liquid through at least a subset of the micro-orifices.
35. The method of claim 29 , wherein the surface features that spatially direct the fluid flow comprise a plurality of micro-orifices, and wherein controllably flowing further comprises flowing a gas through at least a subset of the micro-orifices.
36. The method of claim 29 , wherein the surface features that spatially direct the fluid flow comprise a plurality of switchable channels, and wherein controllably flowing further comprises switching at least a subset of the switchable channels.
37. The method of claim 29 , wherein controllably flowing further comprises inducing surface charges on at least one of the cover surface and the first substrate.
38. The method of claim 37 , wherein inducing surface charges comprises photoinducing surface charges.
39. The method of claim 29 , wherein controllably flowing further comprises applying a varying surface tension along at least one of the cover surface and the first substrate.
40. The method of claim 1 , wherein controllably flowing comprises inducing vorticity into the solution.
41. The method of claim 1 , wherein controllably flowing comprises directing fluid flow by applying a varying surface tension along the substrate.
42. The method of claim 1 , wherein controllably flowing comprises directing fluid flow by applying an electromagnetic field to the solution.
43. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution comprises a mechanical anchor having the elongated molecule anchored thereto, and where the defined physical feature acts to spatially fix the mechanical anchor.
44. The method of claim 43 , wherein the mechanical anchor is a bead.
45. The method of claim 43 , wherein the defined physical feature physically traps the mechanical anchor.
46. The method of claim 43 , wherein the defined physical feature adheres to the mechanical anchor.
47. The method of claim 43 , wherein the defined physical feature electrically traps the mechanical anchor.
48. The method of claim 43 , wherein the defined physical feature magnetically traps the mechanical anchor.