Process of preparing 3D array of particles and exemplary application thereof in sensor fabrication

Abstract

The present invention provides a novel and efficient process of preparing a highly organized 3D array of particles by stacking multiple 2D arrays of the particles. The 3D array of particles so prepared is used in fabrication of sensors, such as molecular imprinted photonic (MIP) crystal sensor. The sensor has a 3D array of voids each having a void internal wall. The void internal walls have cavities each having a cavity internal wall made from a material containing the non-metallic element. A binding of the analytes to the cavities induces a detectable variation of the optical property of the 3D array of voids. The invention exhibits numerous technical merits such as high sensitivity, high specificity, fast detection, ease of operation, low power consumption, zero chemical release, and low operation cost, among others.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application for patent claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 973,591 filed Oct. 15, 2019, the entire disclosures of which is incorporated herein by reference.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]The invention was made with the US EPA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) support under Contract No. 68HERD19C0010. The government has certain rights in the invention.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0003]The present invention generally relates to a general process of preparing a 3D array of particles. Although the invention will be illustrated, explained and exemplified by a 3D array of silica nanoparticles, it should be appreciated that the present invention can also be applied to other fields, for example, polystyrene nanoparticles, polymer beads, oxides, oxide ceramic nanoparticles, nitrides, carbides, quantum dots, macromolecules, carbon nanostructures, and the like. Although...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a process for preparing a 3D array of particles by stacking multiple 2D arrays of the particles. The process involves introducing a substrate into a container and immersing it in a first liquid to form a monolayer of particles on the substrate. The monolayer is then deposited on the substrate to form a desired number of monolayers. The invention also provides a process for preparing a sensing body by infiltrating a 3D array of particles with a solidifiable material containing a non-metallic element and solidifying it. The sensing body can then be used to detect analytes containing non-metallic elements by exposing them to the voids in the sensing body. The invention also provides a method of measuring analytes containing non-metallic elements by contacting them with the sensing body and correlating the detectable variation to the amount of analytes bound to the cavities.

Problems solved by technology

For example, compounds from a large family of perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), such as perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), have attracted worldwide attention in the scientific regulatory community and among the public due to their persistent, bio-accumulative, and toxic characteristics that can significantly deteriorate human health.

Unfortunately, the chemical nature of fluorine makes the carbon-fluorine bond the strongest in nature, which makes these fluorinated compounds resistant to chemical or biochemical reactions and degradation processes.

Recent studies indicate that exposure to PFOA and PFOS over certain levels may result in adverse health effects, including developmental defects in fetuses and breastfed infants, cancer, liver effects, immune effects, thyroid effects, and others.

However, these methods require large and expensive equipment, have high operation costs, and sometimes suffer matrix interferences, making them unsuitable for routine analysis of PFOS and PFOA in the field.

Lab analysis for PFAS (EPA 537) is time-consuming and expensive, taking as long as 3 weeks and costing up to $450 per sample.

The detection of PFAS compounds in the field remains a big problem to solve.

People currently send all samples back to a lab, which is time-consuming and expensive and creates bottlenecks for fairly large projects.

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