Engineering of keratin functionality for the realization of bendable all-biopolymeric micro-electrode array as...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Flexible Electronics
• Biosensors

Background:

• Bioderived polymers are crucial for flexible biomedical devices.
• Keratin, a natural structural protein, shows promise as a biomaterial.
• Advances in keratin extraction from hair and wool fibers facilitate its use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the simultaneous use of keratin as an ionic electrolyte and substrate in a single device.
• To develop a multifunctional, bendable keratin-based sensor for humidity monitoring.
• To enhance keratin's properties for electronic applications through chemical doping.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a multielectrode array device using naturally extracted keratin.
• Selective chemical doping of keratin to improve bendability and insolubility.
• Investigation of humidity sensing mechanisms using cyclic voltammetry.
• Characterization of ionic conductivity and relaxation time via electrical impedance and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a multifunctional system exclusively made of keratin.
• Achieved enhanced bendability and insolubility of keratin through chemical doping.
• Established a reliable linear correlation between humidity levels and the sensor's output signal.
• Validated the performance of the all-keratin microelectrode array sensor under controlled conditions.

Conclusions:

• Keratin can function as both an active ionic electrolyte and a substrate in a single device.
• Chemically doped keratin offers enhanced properties for flexible electronic applications.
• The developed keratin-based sensor is reliable for humidity monitoring.
• This work supports the use of keratin in wearable and edible electronics due to its conformability, reliability, and biocompatibility.