Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 9, 2026
Towards Biomimicking Wood: Fabricated Free-standing Films of Nanocellulose, Lignin, and a Synthetic Polycation
Published on: June 17, 2014
Conducting polymer-based multilayer films for instructive biomaterial coatings
John G Hardy1, Hetian Li2, Jacqueline K Chow2
1J Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; J Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
Aim:
To demonstrate the design, fabrication and testing of conformable conducting biomaterials that encourage cell alignment.
Materials & Methods:
Thin conducting composite biomaterials based on multilayer films of poly(3.4-ethylenedioxythiophene) derivatives, chitosan and gelatin were prepared in a layer-by-layer fashion. Fibroblasts were observed with fluorescence microscopy and their alignment (relative to the dipping direction and direction of electrical current passed through the films) was determined using ImageJ.
Results:
Fibroblasts adhered to and proliferated on the films. Fibroblasts aligned with the dipping direction used during film preparation and this was enhanced by a DC current.
Conclusion:
We report the preparation of conducting polymer-based films that enhance the alignment of fibroblasts on their surface which is an important feature of a variety of tissues.
