Droplet interfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9823235-B2
Application number	US-201314438670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2013
Priority date	Oct 26, 2012
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

The invention provides a method of forming a membrane between a first volume of polar medium and a second volume of polar medium. In some embodiments, the method involves providing a first volume including polar medium and a second volume including polar medium which are separated from one another by an apolar medium, in which at least one of the first and second volumes has a layer including amphipathic molecules.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of forming a membrane between a first volume of polar medium and a second volume of polar medium, which method comprises:
providing a first volume comprising polar medium and a second volume comprising polar medium which are separated from one another by an apolar medium,
wherein at least one of the first and second volumes comprises a layer comprising amphipathic molecules at an interface between the polar medium and the apolar medium,
wherein each of the amphipathic molecules comprises a first outer hydrophilic group, a hydrophobic core group, and a second outer hydrophilic group, wherein the first and second outer hydrophilic groups are linked to opposite ends of the hydrophobic core group, and
wherein the contact between the first and second volumes of polar medium allows the apolar medium located between the first and second volumes to become displaced and a membrane to form comprising the amphipathic molecules located between the first and second volumes of polar medium.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein each of the first and second volumes comprises a layer comprising the amphipathic molecules at the interface between the polar medium and the apolar medium.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first and second outer hydrophilic groups are independently linked to different atoms of the hydrophobic core group.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein each of the amphipathic molecules further comprises at least one additional hydrophobic or hydrophilic group.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein each of the amphipathic molecules further comprises at least one additional hydrophobic group which is bonded to the first outer hydrophilic group or the second outer hydrophilic group.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein each of the amphipathic molecules further comprises: a first additional hydrophobic group which is bonded to the first outer hydrophilic group, and a second additional hydrophobic group which is bonded to the second outer hydrophilic group.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein each additional hydrophobic group is capable of aligning itself with the hydrophobic core group.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein each of the amphipathic molecules is a copolymer comprising at least three polymer segments, wherein the hydrophobic core group is an inner hydrophobic polymer segment, B, and the first and second outer hydrophilic groups are first and second outer hydrophilic polymer segments, A 1 and A 2 .

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the copolymer has a linear or graft structure, and wherein the first and second outer hydrophilic polymer segments, A 1 and A 2 , are pendant from the inner hydrophobic polymer segment, B.

10. A method according to claim 8 wherein the first and second outer hydrophilic polymer segments, A 1 and A 2 , are linked to opposite ends of the inner hydrophobic polymer segment, B.

11. A method according to claim 8 wherein the copolymer further comprises one or more additional polymer segments.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the or each additional polymer segment is the same or different and is an additional hydrophilic polymer segment or an additional hydrophobic polymer segment.

13. A method according to claim 8 wherein the first outer hydrophilic polymer segment A 1 , the second outer hydrophilic polymer segment A 2 , or both A 1 and A 2 , are bonded to one or more additional polymer segments, and/or wherein the inner hydrophobic polymer segment B is bonded to the first outer hydrophilic polymer segment A 1 , the second outer hydrophilic polymer segment A 2 , or both A 1 and A 2 , directly, or via one or more additional polymer segments.

14. A method according to claim 8 wherein the copolymer is a block copolymer of formula (I)
(X 1 n A 1 Y 1 p B Y 2 q A 2 X 2 ) m   (I)

wherein:
A 1 is said first outer hydrophilic polymer segment;
B is said inner hydrophobic polymer segment;
A 2 is said second outer hydrophilic polymer segment;
X 1 , Y 1 , Y 2 and X 2 are additional polymer segments; and
n, p, q and m are independently either 0 or 1.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein X 1 and X 2 are both additional hydrophilic polymer segments or are both additional hydrophobic polymer segments, and wherein Y 1 and Y 2 are both additional hydrophobic polymer segments or are both additional hydrophilic polymer segments.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein m and n are both 1, p and q are both 0, and the copolymer is a pentablock copolymer.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein X 1 and X 2 are both additional hydrophobic polymer segments and are capable of aligning themselves with the inner hydrophobic polymer segment B.

18. A method according to claim 16 wherein the copolymer is a pentablock copolymer of formula (II):

wherein:
A 1 is said first outer hydrophilic polymer segment;
B is said inner hydrophobic polymer segment;
A 2 is said second outer hydrophilic polymer segment;
B 1 is a first additional hydrophobic polymer segment; and
B 2 is a second additional hydrophobic polymer segment.

19. A method according to claim 14 wherein m, n, p and q are 0, and the copolymer is a triblock copolymer of formula (III)
A 1 -B-A 2   (III)

wherein
A 1 is said first outer hydrophilic polymer segment;
B is said inner hydrophobic polymer segment;
A 2 is said second outer hydrophilic polymer segment.

20. A method according to claim 8 wherein the copolymer is a triblock copolymer having a middle polymer segment which is said inner hydrophobic polymer segment B, and two outer polymer segments which are said first and second outer hydrophilic polymer segments, A 1 and A 2 .

21. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the inner hydrophobic polymer segment B and, when present, one or more additional hydrophobic polymer segments, which may be the same or different, comprise a polymer of a monomer selected from: C 1 -C 18 alkyl and C 3 -C 18 cycloalkyl acrylates and methacrylates, C 3 -C 18 alkylacrylamides and methacrylamides, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, vinyl C 1 -C 18 alkanoates, C 2 -C 18 alkenes, C 2 -C 18 haloalkenes, styrene, (C 1-6 alkyl)styrene, C 4 -C 12 alkyl vinyl ethers, C 2 -C 10 perfluoro-alkyl acrylates and methacrylates and correspondingly partially fluorinated acrylates and methacrylates, C 3 -C 12 perfluoroalkylethylthiocarbonylaminoethyl acrylates and methacrylates, acryloxy- and methacryloxyalkylsiloxanes, N-vinylcarbazole, C 1 -C 12 alkyl esters of maleic acid, fumaric acid, itaconic acid, mesaconic acid, vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl butyrate, vinyl valerate, chloroprene, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, vinyltoluene, vinyl ethyl ether, perfluorohexyl ethylthiocarbonylaminoethyl methacrylate, isobomyl methacrylate, trifluoroethyl methacrylate, hexa-fluoroisopropyl methacrylate, hexafluorobutyl methacrylate, tristrimethylsilyloxysilylpropyl methacrylate (TRIS), and 3-methacryloxypropylpentamethyldisiloxane.

22. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the inner hydrophobic polymer segment B and, when present, one or more additional hydrophobic polymer segments, which may be the same or different, comprise a polymer selected from polysiloxane, polyalkene, perfluoropolyether, perfluoroalkyl polyether, polystyrene, polyoxypropy

Assignees

• Oxford Nanopore Tech Ltd
• Oxford Nanopre Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Heron Andrew John
• Hyde Jason Robert
• Brown Clive Gavin

Classifications

• B01D2323/35

  Use of magnetic or electrical fields · CPC title

• B01D71/70

  Polymers having silicon in the main chain, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen or carbon only · CPC title

• B01D69/122

  Separate manufacturing of ultra-thin membranes · CPC title

• C12Q1/6869

  Methods for sequencing · CPC title

• B01D2325/38

  Hydrophobic membranes · CPC title