Polymeric nanopillars and nanotubes, their manufacture and uses

US9718676B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE · US

Inventors

• Steven A. Soper · Baton Rouge, US
• Robin L. McCarley · Prairieville, US
• Guofang Chen · Hicksville, US
• Hamed Shadpour · Mission Viejo, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 12, 2007
• Grant date: Aug 1, 2017
• Expiry date: Jun 26, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T428/2982
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method is disclosed for fabricating free-standing polymeric nanopillars or nanotubes with remarkably high aspect ratios. The nanopillars and nanotubes may be used, for example, in integrated microfluidic systems for rapid, automated, high-capacity analysis or separation of complex protein mixtures or their enzyme digest products. One embodiment, preferably fabricated entirely from polymer substrates, comprises a cell lysis unit; a solid-phase extraction unit with free-standing, polymeric nanostructures; a multi-dimensional electrophoretic separation unit with high peak capacity; a solid-phase nanoreactor for the proteolytic digestion of isolated proteins; and a chromatographic unit for the separation of peptide fragments from the digestion of proteins. The nanopillars and nanotubes may also be used to increase surface area for reaction with a solid phase, for example, with immobilized enzymes or other catalysts within a microchannel, or as a solid support for capillary electrochromatography-based separations of proteins or peptides.