Organic Bioelectronics: Using Highly Conjugated Polymers to Interface with Biomolecules, Cells, and Tissues in the Human Body

Abstract

Conjugated polymers exhibit interesting material and optoelectronic properties that make them well‐suited to the development of biointerfaces. Their biologically relevant mechanical characteristics, ability to be chemically modified, and mixed electronic and ionic charge transport are captured within the diverse field of organic bioelectronics. Conjugated polymers are used in a wide range of device architectures, and cell and tissue scaffolds. These devices enable biosensing of many biomolecules, such as metabolites, nucleic acids, and more. Devices can be used to both stimulate and sense the behavior of cells and tissues. Similarly, tissue interfaces permit interaction with complex organs, aiding both fundamental biological understanding and providing new opportunities for stimulating regenerative behaviors and bioelectronic based therapeutics. Applications of these materials are broad, and much continues to be uncovered about their fundamental properties. This report covers the current understanding of the fundamentals of conjugated polymer biointerfaces and their interactions with biomolecules, cells, and tissues in the human body. An overview of current materials and devices is presented, along with highlighted major in vivo and in vitro applications. Finally, open research questions and opportunities are discussed.

Dopant-Dependent Electrical and Biological Functionality of PEDOT in Bioelectronics

“…By this approach, striving to enable a controlled flow of information between the recipients, it is possible to interact electronics with a biological matter [1]. This concept is primarily employed in biomedical engineering purposes such as biosensors, tissue engineering, or neuroprosthetics [2], to allow for either sensing, stimulation, or control of biological communities on functional surfaces. The crucial role in a possibly seamless interconnection of those two distinct worlds of biotic and abiotic nature is played by the interfacing platforms, which need to fit several criteria.…”

Electrophysiology Read-Out Tools for Brain-on-Chip Biotechnology

“…These materials are extensively used as coating for electrodes in neuroprosthetics devices [ 218 , 220 , 221 , 222 ]. Other than coatings, organic semiconductors have been also successfully employed as electrodes for action potential recordings as well as for detecting neurotransmitters at different neuronal network levels [ 223 , 224 , 225 ]. A promising avenue to improve the biomimetic properties of organic electrode coatings is to combine conducting polymers such as PEDOT with hydrogels to further decrease their stiffness to about 1 MPa, which is within the same order of magnitude as the stiffness of brain tissue [ 226 ].…”

The Fourth Bioelectronic Medicine Summit “Technology Targeting Molecular Mechanisms”: current progress, challenges, and charting the future

“…The panel included luminaries and leaders in the field, as well as exciting new efforts from a new generation. The panel included Molly Stevens from Imperial College London who spoke about the potential to facilitate the safe and effective transfer of charge from electronics to neural substrates, with the incredibly broad ability to tune this process through the diversity of backbones (Mawad et al 2016 ; Higgins et al 2020 ; Ritzau-Reid et al 2020 ; Spicer et al 2017 ) and moieties at her disposal. Prof. Christopher Bettinger from Carnegie-Mellon University presented his work on new polymeric materials that are compatible with microfabrication, and can achieve reliable adhesion to cellular (neural) substrates (Golabchi et al 2019 ).…”