# US 10,768,158 B2 · Electrochemical detector

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- Number: US 10,768,158 B2
- Document ID: US10768158B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/364,541
- Filed: 2016-11-30
- Published: 2018-05-31
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-30
- Assignees: City University of Hong Kong
- Applicants: City University of Hong Kong
- Inventors: A. L. Roy Vellaisamy; Chi-Chung Yeung; Michael H. W. Lam; Siu-Chuen Lau; Kam-Sing Chung
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768158B2

## CPC

- G01N 33/12: Meat; Fish
- B05D 1/005: {Spin coating}
- G01N 27/126: {comprising organic polymers}
- G01N 27/416: Systems (G01N27/27 takes precedence)
- G01N 33/02: Food
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02)

## Abstract

An electrochemical detector includes a substance selection layer disposed on a semiconductor layer, and the substance selection layer is arranged to interact with a target substance so as to alter an electrical characteristic of the semiconductor layer. A method for fabricating an electrochemical detector is also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electrochemical detector comprising:
a substance selection layer disposed on a semiconductor layer;
a substrate including an insulating material, the substrate disposed under the semiconductor layer such that the substrate is opposite the substance selection layer with respect to the semiconductor layer; and
only two electrodes, each disposed on or above the substance selection layer thereby forming a two-terminal device;
wherein the substance selection layer includes a polymer layer functionalized with dioxaborinane and crown ether groups for accommodating at least one molecule of a target substance so as to alter an electrical characteristic of the semiconductor layer, and wherein the insulating material includes at least one of polymer, glass and ceramic.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the target substance includes an amine.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 2, wherein the target substance includes a biogenic amine.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the polymer layer includes a plurality of voids each adapted to accommodate each of the at least one molecule of the target substance.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of voids includes a structure matching with a molecular structure of the at least one molecule of the target substance.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 5, wherein the plurality of voids are selective to the target substance.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the polymer layer includes a molecular imprinted polymer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 7, wherein the molecular imprinted polymer includes a plurality of polymer particles each having a size of around 50 μm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the substance selection layer is electrically conductive.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the substance selection layer is electrically non-conductive.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein an electrical characteristic of a combination of the substance selection layer and the semiconductor layer is altered when the polymer layer accommodates the at least one molecule of the target substance.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 11, wherein an electrical impedance of a combination of the substance selection layer and the semiconductor layer is altered.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer includes at least one of an organic semiconductor, a polymer semiconductor, small molecules, an oxide-based semiconductor and a silicon-based semiconductor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the substrate is a flexible substrate.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer, the substance selection layer and the two electrodes are based on organic materials and/or metal oxide.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer has a thickness of 10 nm-200 nm.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

An electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the two electrodes are spaced at a distance in a range of around 50 μm to 1000 μm.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

A method of fabricating the electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 1, comprising steps of:
depositing the semiconductor layer on the substrate, the substrate including the insulating material, wherein the insulating material includes the at least one of polymer, glass and ceramic; and
depositing the substance selection layer on the semiconductor layer, wherein the substance selection layer includes the polymer layer functionalized with dioxaborinane and crown ether groups; and
depositing layers of electrical conductive material to provide the two electrodes on or above the semiconductor layer.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

A method of fabricating the electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 18, wherein the step of depositing the substance selection layer on the semiconductor layer comprises steps of:
fabricating a combination of a molecular-imprinted polymer and a molecular template of the target substance using a polymerization process;
extracting and removing the molecular template from the molecular-imprinted polymer; and
depositing the molecular-imprinted polymer on the substrate.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

A method for fabricating the electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 19, wherein the step of depositing the substance selection layer on the semiconductor layer further comprises a step of grounding and sieving the combination of the molecular-imprinted polymer and the molecular template to obtain a plurality of polymer particles each having a size of around 50 μm.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

A method of fabricating the electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 18, wherein the steps of depositing the semiconductor layer, the substance selection layer and/or the layers of electrical conductive material involve a solution process.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

A method of fabricating the electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 21, wherein the solution process involve spin coating and/or printing, wherein the solution process of printing further includes pad printing and/or silk screening.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

A method of detecting a target substance, comprising steps of:
exposing the electrochemical detector in accordance with claim 1 to the target substance;
applying a voltage and/or a current bias across the two electrodes; and
determining an amount of target substance detected based on a current-voltage characteristic of the electrochemical detector exposed to the target substance.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

A method of detecting a target substance in accordance with claim 23, wherein the step of determining an amount of target substance detected based on the current-voltage characteristic of the electrochemical detector exposed to the target substance includes determining a change of electrical resistance across the two electrodes of the electrochemical detector.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

A method of detecting a target substance in accordance with claim 23, wherein the determined amount of target substance is further associated with a quality of food.