Combinatorial Study and High-Throughput Screening of Transparent Barrier Films using Chemical Sensors

Abstract

The combinatorial study of materials has already proven its value in the areas of biotechnology [1] and the discovery of medicinal compounds [2, 3]. More recently, this methodology has moved into applications such as discovery of organometallic catalysts with special activity [4], optimization of polymer processing [5], and composite design [6]. The primary advantage of the combinatorial technique is the speed at which different materials can be synthesized, formulated, and tested for particular application [sometimes referred to as high-throughput screening (HTS)]. In addition to speed, the amount of material needed for a combinatorial study is far less than that required for conventional methods, which makes combinatorial material discovery more affordable when the materials are expensive. The need for speed in the combinatorial science magnifies the necessity for automation of different steps in the material discovery process. Consequently, a tremendous effort is focused on automating the formulation, synthesis, and screening steps in discovering new materials. Many of these methods are applicable to the screening of any type of functional material, while others are targeted for specific functionality in a particular area of application.