Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Harvard College

Paul E Laibinis

George M Whitesides

Chad A Mirkin

James J Hickman

Mark S Wrighton

T Alan Hatton

Daniel I C Wang

David Ofer

Seok-Won Lee

Andre Ditsch

James R Valentine

Namyong Y Kim

The present invention relates to multi-polymer-coated magnetic nanoclusters, aqueous magnetic fluids comprising same, and methods of their use in separation procedures. The multi-polymer-coated magnetic nanoclusters comprise a super paramagnetic core, with a first polymer attached thereto, which does not render the first polymer-super paramagnetic particle complex colloidally stable, and a second polymer attached thereto, which stabilizes the complex of multi-polymer-coated magnetic nanoparticles. Methods of use comprise methods of separation, including separation of expressed protein from cells and viruses expressing the same.

Multi-polymer-coated magnetic nanoclusters

The present invention relates to methods of derivatizing semiconductor surfaces, particularly porous silicon surfaces with silicon-carbon units. The derivatization occurs through the direct addition of an organometallic reagent in the absence of an external energy source such as heat and photo- or electrochemical energies. The method of the invention allows the formation of unique intermediates including silicon hydride units bonded to metal ions. Because of these unique intermediates, it is possible to form previously inaccessible silicon-carbon units, for example where the carbon atom is an unsaturated carbon atom. Such inaccessible silicon-carbon units also include silicon-polymer covalent bond formation, in particular where the polymer is a conducting polymer. Thus, the present invention also provides a novel semiconductor surface/polymer junction having improved interfacial interactions.

Derivatization of silicon surfaces

The present invention relates to new biopolymer resistant coatings for materials that come in contact with such molecules in solution. Additionally, the present invention discloses a process for the fabrication of these coatings, under mild and scaleable reaction conditions, from simple, low molecular weight molecular components. Furthermore, the present invention teaches a general conceptual strategy for the design of additional protein resistant coatings.

Biopolymer-resistant coatings

Self-assembly of a chemically insensitive redox material, such as ferrocenyl thiol, and a chemically sensitive redox material, such as a quinone thiol, onto microelectrodes forms the basis for a two-terminal, voltammetric microsensor having reference and sensor functions on the same electrode. Detection is based on measuring the potential difference of current peaks for oxidation and reduction of the reference (ferrocene) and indicator (quinone) in aqueous electrolyte in a two-terminal, linear sweep voltammogram using a counterelectrode of relatively large surface area. Use of microelectrodes modified with monolayer coverages of reference and indicator molecules minimizes the size of the counterelectrode and the perturbation of the solution interrogated. Key advantages are that the sensor requires no separate reference electrode and the sensor functions as long as current peaks can be located for reference and indicator molecules.

Two-terminal voltammetric microsensors

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Medford, MA, United States of America

Paul E Laibinis