TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Plate: The plate further comprises a conductive layer between the plate body and the hydrophilic layer. The electrically conductive plate comprises a plate body having a channel-defining surface; an electrically conductive layer disposed over the channel defining surface; and an electrically conductive hydrophilic layer disposed over the metal layer. Preferred Components: The conductive layer comprises a metal or a conductive metal oxide or a conductive carbon. The hydrophilic carbon comprises a carbon component with an appended hydrophilic component. The carbon component is selected from carbon black, graphite, carbon fiber, amorphous carbon and/or carbon nanotubes. The silane coupling agent is selected from 12 compounds, e.g. Q2-Q1-Si(R1)3; (R1)3SiQ2Si(R1)3 (preferably bis-1,2-triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTSE)); (R1)3Si-(CH2)o-Si(R1)3; Si(R1)3-(CH2)n-N(H)-(CH2)m-Si(R1)3; and (R1O)3Si-(CH2)n-O-(CH2)n-Si(OR1)3. The electrically conductive particles is selected from particulate carbonaceous compounds, crystalline carbon, carbon fiber, amorphous carbon, carbon black, carbon black aggregates, graphite, carbon composites, carbon-coated particles, and/or coated hybrid carbon-based particles. The carbon black is present in an amount of 0.1-5% of silane solution.R1=alkoxy or halo;Q1=moiety having at least one atom that hydrogen bond or have energetically favorable interaction with water;Q2=hydrocarbon-containing moiety providing a spatial separation between Q1 and the Si(R1)3 group;andm, n and o=0-10.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The appended hydrophilic component comprises a hydrophilic organic group. The hydrophilic component comprises a moiety of formula HG'(Ar')-.HG'=hydrophilic or hydrophilic group (preferably OR, COR, COOR, OCOR, COOM, halo, CN, NR2, SN SO3H, SO3M, NR(COR), CONR2, NO2, PO3H2, PO3HM, NR3+X- or PR3+X-);R=H, 1-20C alkyl or aryl;n=1-8 (not shown in structure);M=metal;X-=halide anion or anion derived from mineral or organic acid;andAr'=absent or an aromatic group. EXAMPLE - No suitable example is given.