United States Patent (19) (11) 4,146,454 Haber (45) 'Mar
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United States Patent (19) (11) 4,146,454 Haber (45) 'Mar. 27, 1979 (54) ELECTROMOLECULAR PROPULSION N. 4,030,995 6/1977 Starkweather ............... 204/180 SX DVERSE SEMCONDUCTIVE MEDIA Primary Examiner-Arthur C. Prescott 75 Inventor: Norman Haber, Old Tappan, N.J. 57 ABSTRACT (73) Assignee: Haber Instruments, Inc., Palisades This application is directed to an electromotive process Park, N.J. for exciting a chemical species which includes orientat ing, re-positioning and transporting and for the separa * Notice: The portion of the term of this patent tion of chemical species on a support. Unlike conven subsequent to Oct. 5, 1993, has been tional semiconductive technology in the solid state and disclaimed. amorphous state, the present process is directed to elec (21) Appl. No.: 707,532 trically induced molecular transport in semiconductive media, as distinct from charge transport alone. The (22) Fied: Jul. 22, 1976 semiconductive medium is generally of the liquid, gas Related U.S. Application Data or gel form. The process of this invention is characterized by a high (63) Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 102,120, Dec. 28, mobility rate in the separation process which is 1970, Pat. No. 3,989,298. achieved by tailoring a semiconductive medium for (51) Int. Cl’............................................. GON 27/26 operation over a wide range of voltages at low current (52) U.S. C. .................. ... 204/180 S; 204/180 R; density. The voltage applied is preferably in the range 204/180 G; 204/299 R; 23/230 B; 424/12 of about 0.05 to about 25,000 volts/cm. The semicon 58) Field of Search ........... 204/180 R, 180 S, 180 G, ductive media used in this invention generally comprise 204/299, 181; 424/12; 23/230 B several components which are chosen to give a current density in the range of about 0.001 to 400 micro (56) References Cited amp/cm on filter paper as a substrate. The media U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS should also have a high boiling point. A further aspect of the process is that an external cooling means is not 3,042,597 7/1962 Schumacher .................... 204/180 R 3,255,100 6/1966 Raymond ........ ... 204/180 G ordinarily required. 3,567,611 3/1971 Michel et al. ... or 204/80 G 3,964,992 6/1976 Krotz .......................... 204/180 G X 35 Claims, No Drawings 4,146,454 1. 2 related, though unidentically structured, molecules. ELECTROMOLECULAR PROPULSON IN The characteristic mobility of a substance in cm/sec DVERSE SEMCONDUCTIVE MEDIA may be used to classify or identify substances. The great degree of molecular resolution or differentiation may be THE INVENTION accomplished over the distance of a few inches in a This application is a continuation-in-part of copend matter of seconds or minutes wherein proportionately ing application Serial No. 102,120, filed December 28, less time is required over small instances or by the use of 1970, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,298. higher. voltages. I have discovered that certain low This invention pertains to a method of exciting a current levels are near optimum for the EMP process chemical species to achieve mobility for orientating, 10 and are defined herein as threshold level function de repositioning and transporting the species and for sepa pendent upon the molecular nature of the materials ration among species achieved by operation at the ap involved. The threshold refers to excitation level states propriate conductivity range of the media and espe in a solvation-adsorption system. The usual observed cially within the semiconductive range when induced ranges are 2x10 to 1.6X 10 amp/cm for a cellu by means of intense electrical fields at or near minimum 15 lose substrate. Such threshold levels refer to minimal and optimum current levels. Such systems are charac current requirements for initiating the EMP process and terized by extremely fast molecular motion, or trans are usually close to the optimum current requirements port, hereinafter called electromolecular propulsion for a given system. The semiconductive range refers to (EMP), as well as by great differentiation or resolution methods to achieve suitable conductivity at high volt of molecular species. Such resolution is capable of ac 20 age at the threshold range. The media used are capable complishing very refined analytical separations. of sustaining high voltage electrical fields and are tai By comparison with conventional techniques, hereto lored to have a chemically adjusted and/or controlled fore unobtainable or unique mobilities as well as system level of conductivity internal to the mobile phase and in versatility can be achieved. This invention provides a combination with the substrate, by techniques consis method for inducing mobility of molecules previously 25 tent with the various electrical, chemical and operative considered nonmobile due to their nonpolar nature. In requirements of the working system. the case of polar molecules, such as certain metal deriv Under such conditions an intense compulsive re atives, a greater resolution is obtained than that sponse with very fast mobility or orientation and high achieved with conventional conductive or aqueous resolution separation of molecular types are readily electrolytes. These, plus additional useful factors favor 30 achieved. Such systems are very convenient and advan ing this technique, permit exceedingly high resolution tageous to operate. Their efficiency is high; heat loss is separation or purification of different types of molecu a minimum, and they are applicable within aqueous, lar species to be efficiently and very rapidly achieved. hydrophobic and otherwise non-aqueous media. Suitable detection and/or separation means gives this This process may be accomplished as a liquid-state process an important utility for analytical, purification, 35 semiconductive transport or gaseous state semiconduc and production procedures. It also serves as a research tive transport. Due to its ability to effect molecular tool for the study, characterization and elucidation of transpositions and its use of a mobile phase, it is a semi structural and physical-chemical attributes of chemical conductive fluidic, process. This distinguishes it from systems, materials and their interactions. the sessile solid state and amorphous semiconductive An aspect of this invention pertains to the preparation 40 systems. By virtue of its effect upon the electromolecu of suitable media and systems, within which the semi lar nature of materials through induction by and reac conductive molecular transport can be reliably accom tion to suitably intense electrical fields this process has plished. This can be performed in various media; it applications to major classes of known molecular mate being generally convenient to utilize liquids for the rials including inorganic ions, organic molecules, col mobile phase. The conductivity of the entire system or 45 loids, and crystalloids. Thus, this process is applicable process is brought within the semiconductive range by to inorganic materials such as derived from iron, cop adjusting the conductivity level of the media constitut per, nickel, cobalt, rare earths, heavy metals, zirconium, ing the mobile phase. Very high voltages may be sus and the separation of ionic-solvate species of metal tained at low current levels such that the thermoelectric derivatives. It is also applicable to other materials such heat buildup (IRT) nevertheless permits usage of 50 as proteins, antibiotics, vitamins, antihistamines, amino readily available materials and techniques for working acids, dyestuffs and blood constituents. systems. In contrast to conventional electrochemical By virtue of the extremely great resolution which can transport methods, in this invention very minute current be obtained by application of EMP and the very great levels are actually required which correspond to the speed with which such separations can be achieved, and semiconductive nature of the process. This often pre 55 the various types of systems in which the process can be cludes the need for employing external heat convective applied, it offers advantages and applications to various means and permits small working configurations and fields and operative procedures, including: analytical small power supply size requirements. Another advan chemistry, quality control, clinical chemistry; research; tage of the process is that at the low heat levels of this preparative chemistry; physical chemistry; purification; invention thermal interference is minimized. The very extraction; process control; applied chemistry; and low current levels which suffice in this invention are semiconductive technology. near optimum for molecular movement as induced by By way of illustration, in preparative chemistry, the attractive-repulsive interaction within the electric chemical reactions conducted under suitable EMP con field, and, under such conditions, a very intense migra ditions can be used to displace reaction equilibria to tory effect can be induced which is proportional to the 65 favor certain yields. It offers a means for selective de voltage potential applied. This migratory effect is char pletion of equilibrium product from the sphere of the acteristic for the molecular nature of the material and reaction zone, or of contaminants, or byproducts. In may be sharply differentiated from even similarly or extraction, EMP acts as a minimal time consuming pro is 4,146,454 3 4. cess especially from thin-walled materials, particulates, 5. Operation at or near the low threshold levels can or porous substances.