Method of storing data in polymer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12458967-B2
Application number	US-201916363926-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2019
Priority date	Mar 26, 2018
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

The disclosed technology generally relates to storing data, and more particularly relates to a method of storing data in a polymer, where the data comprises a sequence of bits. In one aspect, the method comprises receiving a sequence of bits to be stored and providing a group of different homo-bifunctional monomers. Each homo-bifunctional monomer comprises a core structure having identical functional groups attached at two different positions of the core structure. The group of different homo-bifunctional monomers comprises homo-bifunctional monomers having at least two different core structures. The method further comprises linking the different homo-bifunctional monomers together to form the polymer having a sequence of monomer core structures representing the sequence of bits to be stored. The different homo-bifunctional monomers are linked together using a click chemistry reaction between the functional groups of the different homo-bifunctional monomers. The present disclosure further relates to a synthesis system for performing the method.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of synthesizing a polymer, the method comprising:
providing a microfluidic chip comprising a polymer synthesis chamber fluidically connected to a plurality of compartments,
wherein the microfluidic chip is electrically connected to a processor configured to control a sequence in which different homo-bifunctional monomers are introduced according to a predetermined sequence of monomer core structures, the method further comprising:
providing a group of different homo-bifunctional monomers,
wherein each of the different homo-bifunctional monomers comprises a core structure having identical functional groups attached at two different positions of the core structure, different ones of the homo-bifunctional monomers provided in different ones of the compartments, and
wherein the group of different homo-bifunctional monomers comprises homo-bifunctional monomers having at least two different core structures;
receiving, by the processor, a sequence of bits for data storage; processing, by the processor, the sequence of bits for data storage to generate a first control signal for a first digit or sub-sequence of digits in the sequence of bits for data storage, and generate a second control signal for a different digit or sub-sequence of digits in the sequence of bits for data storage; initiating, via the first control signal, a flow of microfluids containing at least one core structure of the homo-bifunctional monomers into the polymer synthesis chamber; and initiating, via the second control signal, a flow of microfluids containing at least one different core structure of the different homo-bifunctional monomers; linking the different homo-bifunctional monomers together, in the polymer synthesis chamber, to synthesize the polymer having a predetermined sequence of monomer core structures corresponding to the sequence of bits for data storage,
wherein the different homo-bifunctional monomers are linked together using a click chemistry reaction between the functional groups of the different homo-bifunctional monomers, and
wherein the click chemistry reaction comprises at least one of a thiol-ene reaction, a Diels-Alder reaction, an imine condensation, a hydrazone condensation, an oxime carbonyl condensation and a copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the processor, a second sequence of bits for data storage;
compressing, by the processor, the second sequence of bits for data storage to generate the sequence of bits for data storage, wherein a sub-sequence of at least two digits in the second sequence of bits for data storage generates a single digit in the sequence of bits for data storage.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein linking the different homo-bifunctional monomers together comprises supplying the different homo-bifunctional monomers in the predetermined sequence to a site of reaction in the polymer synthesis chamber.

4 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the group of different homo-bifunctional monomers comprises four different homo-bifunctional monomers represented by the following formulas: i) X-A-X; ii) Y-A-Y; iii) X-B-X; and iv) Y-B-Y; wherein A and B are different core structures and Y and X are two different functional groups adapted to link the different homo-bifunctional monomers in the click chemistry reaction between the functional group X and the functional group Y.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the click chemistry reaction is a copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) and the polymer comprises a triazole backbone linker between at least some of the core structures of the monomers.

6 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein X is an alkyne moiety and Y is an azide moiety.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the different homo-bifunctional monomers differ by having core structures comprising groups of different sterical size.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein linking the different homo-bifunctional monomers is performed at a solid support such that the polymer is attached to the solid support.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting an electrical output from a monomer core structure in the synthesized polymer, the electrical output relating back to the type of monomer to differentiate between different monomers, wherein the sequence of bits for data storage are determined from the electrical output.

10 . A method of synthesizing a polymer, the method comprising:
providing a microfluidic chip comprising a polymer synthesis chamber fluidically connected to a plurality of compartments, providing a group of different homo-bifunctional monomers,
wherein each of the different homo-bifunctional monomers comprises a core structure having identical functional groups attached at two different positions of the core structure, different ones of the homo-bifunctional monomers provided in different ones of the compartments, and
wherein the group of different homo-bifunctional monomers comprises homo-bifunctional monomers having at least two different core structures;
receiving, by a processor, a sequence of bits for data storage; processing, by the processor, the sequence of bits for data storage to generate a first control signal for a first digit or sub-sequence of digits in the sequence of bits for data storage, and generate a second control signal for a different digit or sub-sequence of digits in the sequence of bits for data storage; initiating, via the first control signal, a flow of microfluids containing at least one core structure of the homo-bifunctional monomers into the polymer synthesis chamber; and initiating, via the second control signal, a flow of microfluids containing at least one different core structure of the different homo-bifunctional monomers; linking the different homo-bifunctional monomers together, in the polymer synthesis chamber, to synthesize the polymer having a predetermined sequence of monomer core structures corresponding to the sequence of bits for data storage, wherein the different homo-bifunctional monomers are linked together using a click chemistry reaction between the functional groups of the different homo-bifunctional monomers, and wherein the click chemistry reaction comprises at least one of a thiol-ene reaction, a Diels-Alder reaction, an imine condensation, a hydrazone condensation, an oxime carbonyl condensation and a copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, further comprising detecting an electrical output from a monomer core structure in the synthesized polymer, the electrical output generated by different core structures in a nanopore, the electrical output relating back to the type of monomer to differentiate between different monomers, wherein the sequence of bits for data storage are determined from the electrical output.

11 . A synthesis system comprising:
a microfluidic chip comprising:
a polymer synthesis chamber configured to contain a polymer in a liquid or a polymer attached to an inner surface of the chamber,
microfluidic channels fluidically connected to the polymer synthesis chamber and configured to forward liquids to the polymer synthesis chamber to perform a click chemistry reaction, and
at least four different compartments, each fluidically connected to the polymer synthesis chamber via one of the microfluidic channels, and each configured to comprise a solution of different homo-bifunctional monomers,
wherein each of the different homo-bifunctional monomers comprises a core structure having identical functional groups attached at two different positions of the

Assignees

• Imec Vzw

Inventors

• Jans Karolien
• Stakenborg Tim
• Holsteyns Frank

Classifications

• G11C13/0019

  comprising bio-molecules · CPC title

• G11B7/245 Primary

  containing a polymeric component · CPC title

• G11C13/0016

  comprising polymers · CPC title

• C08G73/0605

  Polycondensates containing five-membered rings, not condensed with other rings, with nitrogen atoms as the only ring hetero atoms · CPC title

• B82Y10/00

  Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic · CPC title