Poly(4-vinylaniline)/polyaniline bilayer functionalized bacterial cellulose membranes as bioelectronics interfaces.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a biocompatible material with potential in biomedical applications.
• Enhancing the electrical conductivity and cytocompatibility of BC is crucial for advanced applications.
• Polyaniline (PANI) is a conductive polymer, but its direct application on BC can be challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel electrically conductive bacterial cellulose (BC) nanocomposites.
• To improve the electrical conductivity and cell viability of BC using a poly(4-vinylaniline) (PVAN) interlayer and polyaniline (PANI) coating.
• To explore the potential of these BC/PVAN/PANI nanocomposites in biomedical fields.

Main Methods:

• Chemical functionalization of BC fibers with a PVAN interlayer.
• Coating the PVAN-functionalized BC with PANI to form a PVAN/PANI bilayer.
• Characterization of the nanocomposite's structure, conductivity, thermal stability, and cytotoxicity.
• Assessment of SVZ neural stem cell viability on the BC/PVAN/PANI membranes.

Main Results:

• A uniform PVAN/PANI bilayer (approx. 2 μm) was successfully formed on BC, promoting PANI yield and creating nanofiber/nanorod structures.
• Solid-state electrical conductivity reached up to (4.5 ± 1.7) × 10⁻² S cm⁻¹, dependent on PVAN content.
• The BC/PVAN/PANI nanocomposites exhibited thermal stability up to 225°C.
• No cytotoxicity was observed for SVZ neural stem cells, with cell viability reaching 90%.

Conclusions:

• The developed BC/PVAN/PANI nanocomposites demonstrate significantly enhanced electrical conductivity and excellent cell viability.
• The PVAN interlayer facilitates uniform PANI deposition and improves overall material properties.
• These findings suggest that BC/PVAN/PANI nanocomposites are promising candidates for bioelectronic interfaces and biosensors.