Flashing ratchets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018145271-A1
Application number	US-201715819911-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 21, 2017
Priority date	Nov 21, 2016
Publication date	May 24, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided herein are flashing ratchets that produce transport based on the oscillating application of regularly-spaced, asymmetric potentials. In particular, devices are provided that transport electrons without the requirement of an overall source-drain bias favoring electron transport.

First claim

1 . A device comprising:
(a) a particle transport layer, (b) a dielectric layer, and (c) an electrode layer comprising multiple regularly spaced electrodes; wherein the dielectric layer physically separates the particle transport layer and the repeating asymmetric electrode layer; wherein application of an electric potential to the electrodes induces repeating asymmetric electric field within the particle transport layer; and wherein time-oscillation of the electric potential results in asymmetric-electric-field-induced mono-directional particle transport through the particle transport layer without the requirement of an overall source-drain bias in the direction of transport.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the particle transport layer comprises a bulk heterojunction (BJH) film.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the BJH film comprises a blend of poly(3-hexyl-thiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C 61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM).

4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the BJH film comprises a 1:1 P3HT:PCBM blend.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the particle transport layer produces mobile electrons and holes upon dissociation of photoexcited states.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein there is no overall source-drain bias across the particle transport layer.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein there is an overall source-drain bias across the particle transport layer in the opposing direction of mono-directional particle transport.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrode layer comprises an array of four or more linearly-arranged, regularly-spaced finger electrodes with an asymmetric thickness profile along the direction of transport.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the finger electrodes sit upon a thermal silicon oxide layer.

10 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the finger electrodes are 20 nm to 1 μm in width.

11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the finger electrodes are separated by 20 nm to 1 μm.

12 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the electric potential applied to the electrodes is between 10 kHz and 10 MHz.

13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the transported particles are electrons.

14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the electrons are thermally- or photo-generated in the particle transport layer.

15 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the transport of electrons through the particle transport layer creates direct electric current across the particle transport layer.

16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the particle transport layer is photo-responsive and illumination alters the direct electric current.

17 . A method of mono-directionally transporting particles through a material, without an overall source-drain bias in the direction of transport, comprising applying regularly-spaced, asymmetrically-shaped, oscillating electric fields within the material.

Assignees

• Univ Northwestern

Inventors

• Kedem Ofer
• Lau Bryan
• Weiss Emily A

Classifications

• C09D165/00

  Coating compositions based on macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming a carbon-to-carbon link in the main chain (C09D107/00 - C09D157/00, C09D161/00 take precedence); Coating compositions based on derivatives of such polymers · CPC title

• C08K2201/001

  Conductive additives · CPC title

• C08G2261/1412

  Saturated aliphatic units · CPC title

• C09D5/24

  Electrically-conducting paints {(conductive materials H01B1/00)} · CPC title

• C08G2261/3223

  containing one or more sulfur atoms as the only heteroatom, e.g. thiophene · CPC title