GLASS COMPOSITE MATERIAL AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING

Abstract

A glass composite is provided that has a first and second glass element, each having a first surface, and a first coupling agent layer having a first and second silane coupling agent. The first coupling agent layer has covalent bonds between the first and second silane coupling agents. The first and second silane coupling agents are covalently bonded to the first surface of the first and second glass elements, respectively. The first and second glass elements are irreversibly connected by the first coupling agent layer. Such a glass composite is made by bonding the first surface of the first and second glass elements to the first and second silane coupling agents, respectively, and contacting both first surfaces with each other to cause the first and second silane coupling agents thereon to covalently bond so that the first and second glass elements are irreversibly connected.

Claims

1. A glass composite, comprising: a first glass element having a first surface; a second glass element having a first surface; and a first layer having a first silane coupling agent and a second silane coupling agent, wherein the first layer has covalent bonds between the first and second silane coupling agents, wherein the first silane coupling agent is covalently bonded to the first surface of the first glass element, wherein the second silane coupling agent is covalently bonded to the first surface of the second glass element, and wherein the first glass element is irreversibly connected to the second glass element by the first layer.

2. The glass composite of claim 1, further comprising: a third glass element having a first surface; and a second layer having the first silane coupling agent and the second silane coupling agent, wherein the second layer has covalent bonds between the first and second silane coupling agents, wherein the second glass element is irreversibly connected to the third glass element by the second layer, wherein the first silane coupling agent is covalently bonded to a second surface of the second glass element, and wherein the second silane coupling agent is covalently bonded to the first surface of the third glass element.

3. The glass composite of claim 1, further comprising: a third glass element having a first surface; and a second layer having the first silane coupling agent and the second silane coupling agent, wherein the second layer has covalent bonds between the first and second silane coupling agents, wherein the second glass element is irreversibly connected to the third glass element by the second layer, wherein the second silane coupling agent is covalently bonded to a second surface of the second glass element, and wherein the first silane coupling agent is covalently bonded to the first surface of the third glass element.

4. The glass composite of claim 1, wherein the first silane coupling agent is selected from the group consisting of: a reactive epoxy, an aldehyde group, a polymer group, and combinations thereof, and wherein the second silane coupling agent is a reactive amino group.

5. The glass composite of claim 1, wherein the second silane coupling agent is selected from the group consisting of: a reactive epoxy, an aldehyde group, a polymer group, and combinations thereof, and wherein the first silane coupling agent is a reactive amino group.

6. The glass composite of claim 1, wherein the first silane coupling agent comprises one or more reactive epoxy groups and the second silane coupling agent is a reactive thiol group.

7. The glass composite of claim 1, wherein the second silane coupling agent comprises one or more reactive epoxy groups and wherein the first silane coupling agent is a reactive thiol group.

8. The glass composite of claim 1, wherein the first and second glass elements are selected from the group consisting of: a soda-lime glass element, a borosilicate glass element, a quartz glass element, an alkaline alumino borosilicate glass element, and combinations thereof.

9. The glass composite of claim 1, further comprising a passageway configured as a channel for liquids such that the glass composite is configured for use in a biotechnological analysis method.

10. The glass composite of claim 9, wherein the passageway is a recess in the second glass element.

11. The glass composite of claim 9, wherein the second glass element comprises one or more openings that form the passageway.

12. The glass composite of claim 9, wherein the second glass element comprises at least two parts with a space therebetween that forms the passageway.

13. The glass composite of claim 9, wherein the passageway has at least one surface and wherein the second silane coupling agent is bonded to the at least one surface of the passageway.

14. The glass composite of claim 9, wherein the passageway has at least one surface and wherein the first silane coupling agent is bonded to the at least one surface of the passageway.

15. The glass composite of claim 9, wherein the second glass element is a glass sheet having a thickness from 0.05 to 0.3 mm.

16. The glass composite of claim 9, wherein further comprising a fastening element on the first and/or second glass element, the fastening element being configured to mount the glass composite in a laboratory machine that conducts the biotechnological analysis method.

17. The glass composite of claim 9, wherein the glass composite is configured as a device selected from the group consisting of: a microarray, a biochip, and a flow chamber.

18. A method for producing a glass composite, comprising: bonding a first surface of a first glass element to a first silane coupling agent; bonding a first surface of a second glass element to a second silane coupling agent; and contacting the first and second glass elements so that the first and second silane coupling agents covalently bond to one another and irreversibly connect the first and second glass elements.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: bonding a second surface of the second glass element to a second silane coupling agent; bonding a first surface of a third glass element to a first silane coupling agent; and contacting the second and third glass elements so that the first and second silane coupling agents covalently bond to one another and irreversibly connect the second and third glass elements to define the glass composite.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming a passageway in the glass composite such that the glass composite is configured for use in a biotechnological analysis method.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of forming the passageway comprises: defining one or more recesses or openings in the second glass element that form the passageway; and/or using a plurality of elements to define the second glass element and positioning the plurality of elements with a space therebetween to form the passageway.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0072] FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross section through a glass composite according to the present disclosure comprising two glass elements.

[0073] FIG. 2 shows a device according to the present disclosure comprising two glass elements.

[0074] FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a device according to the present disclosure comprising three glass elements.

[0075] FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross section through a device according to the present disclosure as shown in FIG. 3 along A-A.

[0076] FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross section through a device according to the present disclosure as shown in FIG. 3 along B-B.

[0077] FIG. 6 shows a schematic perspective view of a second glass element (interposer) with openings according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0078] A glass composite material 1 according to the present disclosure is shown schematically in FIG. 1. The glass composite material consists of a first glass element 2, a coupling agent layer 3 and a second glass element 4. On the one hand, a plurality of first silane coupling agents 6 is covalently bonded to a first surface 5 of the first glass element 2. On the other hand, a plurality of second silane coupling agents 8 is covalently bonded to a first surface 7 of the second glass element 4. By complementary reactivity of the first silane coupling agents 6 and the second coupling agents 8, these enter into covalent bonds with each other and thus form the coupling agent layer 3, whereby the first glass element is irreversibly connected to the second glass element.

[0079] The glass composite material according to the present disclosure can, of course, comprise further glass elements, in particular a plurality of further glass layers, which are covalently and irreversibly connected to the first glass element 2 and/or the second glass element 4 and possibly also again with each other. The complementarily reactive silane coupling agents for connecting further glass elements to the first glass element 2 or the second glass element 4 of the glass composite material shown in FIG. 1 can again be the first silane coupling agents 6 and second silane coupling agents 8 or can comprise further complementarily reactive silane coupling agents.

[0080] The glass composite material 1 according to the present disclosure can advantageously be used in a device according to the present disclosure, for example, in a device according to FIG. 2. In the device 9 shown schematically in FIG. 2, a one-piece second glass element 4 is shown that is covalently and irreversibly connected to the first glass element 2 via a coupling agent layer 3, wherein the passageway 10 of the device 9 is configured as a recess in the second glass element 4.

[0081] The device 9 according to the present disclosure shown in FIG. 3 comprises a second glass element 4 (interposer, originally coated at its first and second surfaces with a plurality of second silane coupling agents), which is covalently connected to a first glass element 2 designed as a bottom plate as well as to a third glass element 12 designed as a cover via two coupling agent layers 3, 11. In this embodiment, both the first and the third glass element was originally coated with a plurality of first silane coupling agents 6, so that both coupling agent layers 3, 11, are formed through a bonding reaction between the first and second silane coupling agents 6, 8. The passageway 10 of the device 9 is formed by the space in the opening (internally and not visible here) of the second glass element 4. The passageway is in fluid communication with both the inlet port 13 and the outlet port 14, so that samples dissolved in liquid and/or reagents can be introduced through the inlet port 13 for analysis in the passageway 10 and can be removed again via the outlet port 14.

[0082] As can be seen from the cross section of FIG. 4 shown along A-A, the first glass element 2 and the third glass element 12 limit the space formed by the opening 14 in the second glass element 4, so that the passageway 10 of the device 9 shown in FIG. 3 is formed.

[0083] From the cross section along B-B shown in FIG. 5, it can be seen that the inlet port 13 is in fluid communication with the opening 14 of the second glass element 4 (interposer), and thus with the passageway 10 of the device 9 shown in FIG. 3, so that in a liquid dissolved samples and/or reagents can be introduced through the inlet port 13 for analysis in the passageway 10.

[0084] FIG. 6 shows the second glass element 4 designed as an interposer with opening 14 in a schematic perspective view.

[0085] With regard to further advantageous embodiments of the device according to the present disclosure, reference is made to the general part of the description and to the appended claims in order to avoid repetition.

[0086] Finally, it should be expressly noted that the examples of embodiments of the device according to the present disclosure described above serve merely to illustrate the claimed teaching, but do not restrict it to the examples of embodiments.