Blood-Catalyzed Polymerization Creates Conductive Polymer in Live Zebrafish

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Bioelectronics

Background:

• Conducting polymers possess unique optical, electrical, and mechanical properties, making them valuable for bioimaging, bio-interfaces, and bioelectronics.
• Current methods involve ex vivo synthesis and delivery, limiting applications within biological systems.
• In vivo synthesis offers a novel approach to harness conducting polymers' potential in living organisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the first in vivo synthesis of an n-doped conducting polymer (n-PBDF).
• To demonstrate the feasibility of whole blood-catalyzed polymerization within live zebrafish embryos.
• To evaluate the performance of in situ synthesized polymers for neural activation.

Main Methods:

• In vitro studies established polymerization efficacy using Hemin, hemoproteins, red blood cells, and whole blood.
• In vivo polymerization was achieved in live zebrafish embryos by catalyzing 3,7-dihydrobenzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']difuran-2,6-dione (BDF) with whole blood.
• The synthesized n-PBDF was integrated into cultured primary neurons for bio-interface and neural activation studies.

Main Results:

• Successful in vivo synthesis of n-PBDF within zebrafish embryos was achieved.
• In vitro experiments confirmed the catalytic role of blood components in polymerization.
• In cellulo n-PBDF demonstrated superior bio-interfaces and enhanced light-induced neural activation compared to pre-synthesized polymers.

Conclusions:

• In vivo polymerization of conducting polymers is feasible and offers advantages over traditional methods.
• Whole blood components can effectively catalyze the polymerization of specific monomers in living systems.
• Synthesizing conducting polymers directly within biological systems holds significant promise for advanced biomedical applications.