US 12,458,967 B2
Method of storing data in polymer
Karolien Jans, Tessenderlo (BE); Tim Stakenborg, Heverlee (BE); and Frank Holsteyns, Leuven (BE)
Assigned to IMEC VZW, Leuven (BE)
Filed by IMEC vzw, Leuven (BE)
Filed on Mar. 25, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/363,926.
Claims priority of application No. 18163991 (EP), filed on Mar. 26, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2019/0291106 A1, Sep. 26, 2019
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B82Y 10/00 (2011.01); C08G 73/06 (2006.01); G11B 7/245 (2006.01); G11C 13/00 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 3/502715 (2013.01) [B01L 3/502753 (2013.01); G11B 7/245 (2013.01); G11C 13/0016 (2013.01); G11C 13/0019 (2013.01); B82Y 10/00 (2013.01); C08G 73/0605 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
 
1. A method of synthesizing a polymer, the method comprising:
providing a microfluidic chip comprising a polymer synthesis chamber fluidically connected to a plurality of compartments,
wherein the microfluidic chip is electrically connected to a processor configured to control a sequence in which different homo-bifunctional monomers are introduced according to a predetermined sequence of monomer core structures, the method further comprising:
providing a group of different homo-bifunctional monomers,
wherein each of the different homo-bifunctional monomers comprises a core structure having identical functional groups attached at two different positions of the core structure, different ones of the homo-bifunctional monomers provided in different ones of the compartments, and
wherein the group of different homo-bifunctional monomers comprises homo-bifunctional monomers having at least two different core structures;
receiving, by the processor, a sequence of bits for data storage;
processing, by the processor, the sequence of bits for data storage to generate a first control signal for a first digit or sub-sequence of digits in the sequence of bits for data storage, and generate a second control signal for a different digit or sub-sequence of digits in the sequence of bits for data storage;
initiating, via the first control signal, a flow of microfluids containing at least one core structure of the homo-bifunctional monomers into the polymer synthesis chamber; and
initiating, via the second control signal, a flow of microfluids containing at least one different core structure of the different homo-bifunctional monomers;
linking the different homo-bifunctional monomers together, in the polymer synthesis chamber, to synthesize the polymer having a predetermined sequence of monomer core structures corresponding to the sequence of bits for data storage,
wherein the different homo-bifunctional monomers are linked together using a click chemistry reaction between the functional groups of the different homo-bifunctional monomers, and
wherein the click chemistry reaction comprises at least one of a thiol-ene reaction, a Diels-Alder reaction, an imine condensation, a hydrazone condensation, an oxime carbonyl condensation and a copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition.