Mesoporous permeation layers for use on active electronic matrix devices
View Patent ↗The present invention provides improved synthetic polymer hydrogel permeation layers for use on active electronic matrix devices for biological assays. The present invention includes methods for forming a permeation layer on an array of microelectrodes including the steps of attaching a linker to the surface of the array and providing a polymerization solution that includes a porogen. The surface of the array is then contacted with the polymerization solution and the polymerization solution is then polymerized on the surface of the array to form a permeation layer that is attached o the surface of the array through the linker. The porogen is then removed from the permeation layer, thereby creating void spaces in the permeation layer.
1. A method for forming a synthetic polymeric hydrogel permeation layer on an array of microelectrodes comprising the steps of:
attaching a linker to the array of microelectrodes;
providing a polymerization solution comprising a porogen;
contacting the surface of the array with the polymerization solution;
polymerizing the polymerization solution on the surface of the array to form a permeation layer, wherein the permeation layer is attached to the surface of the array through the linker; and
removing the porogen from the permeation layer, thereby creating void spaces in the permeation layer.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the porogen is a solid templating porogen.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the porogen is a liquid templating porogen.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the porogen is a micelle forming porogen.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the porogen is a surfactant.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the surfactant is a Brij surfactant.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the porogen is removed with a solvent.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the solvent does not significantly alter a porous structure of the permeation layer.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array of microelectrodes comprises electrodes made from a material selected from the group consisting of platinum, silicide, tungsten silicide, titanium silicide, and gold silicide.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array of microelectrodes comprises electrodes made from a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, carbon, iron, silver, gold, palladium, platinum, titanium, tungsten, polysilicon, and indium tin oxide.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array of microelectrodes comprise carbon electrodes.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array of microelectrodes comprise platinum electrodes.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the permeation layer forms a mesoporous structure upon removal of the porogen.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the mesoporous structure defines pores that are between about 100 nm and 1000 nm in diameter.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the permeation layer forms a nanoporous structure upon removal of the porogen.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the permeation layer forms a microporous structure upon removal of the porogen.