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Ultrasensitive label-free optical recording of bioelectric potentials using dioxythiophene-based electrochromic
Yuecheng Zhou1,2,3, Erica Liu1,2, Anna M Österholm4
1Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Nature Communications
|July 23, 2025
Summary
We developed sensitive electrochromic polymers for optical bioelectric detection. P(OE3)-E polymer detects neuronal signals with high sensitivity and temporal resolution, matching traditional electrodes without complex patterning.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Neuroscience
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Dioxythiophene-based polymers exhibit electrochromism, converting electrical signals to optical changes.
- This property allows for the potential detection of minute bioelectric signals, like neuronal action potentials.
- Enhancing sensitivity is key for practical bioelectric sensing applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how backbone and side-chain chemistry influence the electrochromic sensitivity of dioxythiophene-based polymers.
- To identify a polymer optimized for detecting low-level bioelectric potentials.
- To demonstrate the utility of optimized polymers in real-world biological recordings.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized and characterized various dioxythiophene-based copolymers, focusing on backbone and side-chain modifications.
- Evaluated electrochromic sensitivity by correlating optical transitions with applied electric potentials.
- Utilized thin films of the most sensitive polymer, P(OE3)-E, for detecting bioelectric signals from biological samples.
Main Results:
- Identified P(OE3)-E, a copolymer of oligoether-functionalized 3,4-propylenedioxythiophene and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, as having the highest electrochromic sensitivity.
- Achieved reliable detection of field potentials from rat hearts, cardiomyocyte action potentials, and rat hippocampal neuron activity.
- Demonstrated a detection sensitivity of approximately 3.3 µV with sub-millisecond temporal resolution.
Conclusions:
- P(OE3)-E offers a highly sensitive and temporally resolved method for optical bioelectric detection.
- This technology matches the performance of traditional electrode-based methods but removes limitations of electrode design and placement.
- π-conjugated polymers hold significant promise for the future of advanced bioelectric sensing technologies.
