Bioadhesive polymer semiconductors and transistors for intimate biointerfaces

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Bioelectronics
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Bioelectronic devices require direct contact with soft biological tissues for effective signal transduction.
• Current semiconductor materials used in transistor-type bioelectronic devices exhibit poor adhesion to wet tissues, limiting interface stability and conformability.
• This instability hinders reliable and long-term performance of implantable or wearable bioelectronic systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a novel bioadhesive polymer semiconductor capable of forming stable and conformal interfaces with wet biological tissues.
• To enhance the performance and reliability of transistor-type bioelectronic devices through improved interfacial properties.
• To demonstrate the utility of the developed material in high-quality electrophysiological recordings.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a double-network polymer structure combining a bioadhesive brush polymer and a redox-active semiconducting polymer.
• Characterization of the resulting semiconducting film's adhesion properties, charge-carrier mobility, stretchability, and biocompatibility.
• Integration of the bioadhesive semiconductor into a fully bioadhesive transistor sensor for electrophysiological recordings.

Main Results:

• The developed semiconducting film exhibits rapid and strong adhesion to wet tissue surfaces.
• The material demonstrates high charge-carrier mobility (~1 cm²/Vs), high stretchability, and good biocompatibility.
• The fully bioadhesive transistor sensor achieved high-quality and stable electrophysiological recordings from isolated rat hearts and in vivo rat muscles.

Conclusions:

• A novel bioadhesive polymer semiconductor has been successfully developed, addressing the critical challenge of tissue adhesion in bioelectronics.
• The material's unique properties enable stable, conformal interfaces, paving the way for more robust and reliable bioelectronic devices.
• This advancement holds significant potential for improving signal transduction and recording capabilities in various biomedical applications, including in vivo monitoring.