Electric element using oxidation-reduction substances

Claim 2

A redox electric element comprising: a first oxidation-reduction substance film prepared by a first oxidation-reduction substance having a first redox potential; a second oxidation-reduction substance film prepared by a second oxidation-reduction substance having a second redox potential different from said first potential, said second oxidation-reduction substance film being accumulatedly stuck and joined on said first oxidation-reduction substance; first and second electrodes electrically connected to said first and second oxidation-reduction substance films respectively; one of said first and second oxidation-reduction substance films being composed of one of biogenic redox protein and organic non-biogenic substance, the other being composed of organic non-biogenic substance; a difference between said first and second redox potentials being utilized to provide rectifying characteristics.

Claim 3

A redox electric element according to claim 1, wherein said film composed of organic non-biogenic substance is selected from a group consisting of a film composed of pseudo-redox protein, a film composed of organic synthetic molecules prepared by the Langmuir-Blodgett method, and a chemically modified film prepared by a method for chemical modification of a metal electrode by organic synthetic molecules.

Claim 4

A redox electric element according to claim 2, wherein said film composed of organic non-biogenic substance comprises one of a monomolecular film and a monomolecular-film accumulated film.

Claim 5

A redox electric element according to claim 2, wherein said film composed of one of biogenic redox protein and pseudo-redox protein is oriented in such a manner that electrons are transported in said protein molecules in a vertical direction with respect to accumulated films while no electrons are transported between said protein molecules in a horizontal direction with respect to said accumulated films.

Claim 6

A redox electric element according to claim 1, wherein said biogenic redox protein is selected from a group consisting of non-heme iron-sulfur protein cytochrome c protein, cytochrome b protein, cytochrome a, flavodoxin, plastocyanine and thioredoxin.

Claim 7

A redox electric element according to claim 2, wherein said organic synthetic molecules have oxidation-reduction functional groups selected from a group consisting of viologen group, flavine group, thionine group, organometallic complex, oxidation-reduction dye, and compounds prepared by binding at least one of said group to other organic materials.

Claim 8

A redox electric element according to claim 6, wherein said organometallic complex is selected from a group consisting of derivatives of phthalocyanine, derivatives of porphyrin and derivatives of annulene.

Claim 9

A redox electric element according to claim 2, wherein said pseudo-redox protein is prepared by binding one of amino-acid and amino-acid derivative to a redox protein being in nature.

Claim 10

A redox electric element according to claim 8, wherein said amino-acid derivative is prepared by substituting one of F and CH 3 for H or by substituting Si for C.

Claim 11

A redox electric element according to claim 2, wherein supply of electrons to one of said biogenic redox protein and said organic non-biogenic pseudo-redox protein is performed through enzyme.

Claim 12

A redox electric element comprising: a first oxidation-reduction substance film prepared by a first oxidation-reduction substance having a first redox potential; a second oxidation-reduction substance film prepared by a second oxidation-reduction substance having a second redox potential different from said first potential, said second oxidation-reduction substance film being accumulatedly stuck and joined on said first oxidation-reduction substance; a third oxidation-reduction substance film prepared by a third oxidation-reduction substance having a third redox potential different from said second potential, said third oxidation-reduction substance film being accumulatedly stuck and joined on said second oxidation-reduction substance; first and third electrodes electrically connected to said first and third oxidation-reduction substance films respectively; second electrodes provided to give an electrical influence on said second oxidation-reduction substance film; one of said first, second and third oxidation-reduction substance films being composed of one of biogenic redox protein and organic non-biogenic substance, one of the other two of said first, second and third oxidation-reduction substance films being composed of one of biogenic redox protein and organic non-biogenic substance, the remainder one of said first, second and third oxidation-reduction substance films being composed of organic non-biogenic substance; differences between said first, second and third redox potentials being utilized to provide at least one of transistor and switching characteristics.

Claim 13

A redox electric element comprising: a first oxidation-reduction substance film prepared by a first oxidation-reduction substance having a first redox potential; a second oxidation-reduction substance film prepared by a second oxidation-reduction substance having a second redox potential different from said first potential, said second oxidation-reduction substance film being accumulatedly stuck and joined on said first oxidation-reduction substance; a third oxidation-reduction substance film prepared by a third oxidation-reduction substance having a third redox potential different from said second potential, said third oxidation-reduction substance film being accumulatedly stuck and joined on said second oxidation-reduction substance; first and third electrodes electrically connected to said first and third oxidation-reduction substance films respectively; second electrodes provided to give an electrical influence on said second oxidation-reduction substance film; one of said first, second and third oxidation-reduction substance films being composed of one of biogenic redox protein and organic non-biogenic substance, one of the other two of said first, second and third oxidation-reduction substance films being composed of one of biogenic redox protein and organic non-biogenic substance, the remainder one of said first, second and third oxidation-reduction substance films being composed of organic non-biogenic substance; differences between said first, second and third redox potentials being utilized to provide at least one of transistor and switching characteristics.

Claim 14

A redox electric element according to claim 11, wherein said film composed of organic non-biogenic substance is selected from a group consisting of a film composed of pseudo-redox protein, a film composed of organic synthetic molecules by the Langmuir-Blodgett method, and a chemically modified film by a method for chemical modification of metal electrodes by organic synthetic molecules.

Claim 15

A redox electric element according to claim 12, wherein said film composed of organic non-biogenic substance comprising one of a monomolecular film or monomolecular-film accumulated films.

Claim 16

A redox electric element according to claim 12, wherein said film composed of one of biogenic redox protein and pseudo-redox protein is oriented in such a manner that electrons are transported in said protein molecules in a vertical direction with respect to accumulated films while no electrons are transported between said protein molecules in a horizontal direction with respect to accumulated films.

Claim 17

A redox electric element according to claim 11, wherein said biogenic redox protein is selected from a group consisting of non-heme iron-sulfur protein cytochrome c protein, cytochrome b protein cytochrome a, flavodoxin, plastocyanine and thioredoxin.

Claim 18

A redox electric element according to claim 12, wherein said organic synthetic molecules have oxidation-reduction function groups selected from a group consisting of viologen group, flavine group, thionine group, organometallic complex, oxidation-reduction dye, and compounds prepared by binding at least one of said group to other organic materials.

Claim 19

A redox electric element according to claim 16, wherein said organometallic complex is selected from a group consisting of derivatives of phthalocyanine, derivatives of porphyrin and derivatives of annulene.

Claim 20

A redox electric element according to claim 12, wherein said pseudo-redox protein is prepared by binding one of amino-acid and amino-acid derivative to a redox protein being in nature.

Claim 21

A redox electric element according to claim 18, wherein said amino=acid derivative is prepared by substituting one of F and CH 3 for H or by substituting Si for C.

Claim 22

A redox electric element according to claim 12, wherein supply of electrons to one of said biogenic redox protein and said organic non-biogenic pseudo-redox protein is performed through enzyme.