Bioadhesive and Immune-Compatible Polymer Bioelectronics

The use of bioelectronic devices for acquiring biological information and delivering therapeutic interventions relies on direct contact with soft bio-tissues. To ensure high-quality signal transductions, the interfaces between bioelectronic devices and bio-tissues must combine signal amplification with stable and conformable contact. Semiconductor-based transistors (e.g., organic electrochemical transistors) have been developed as one of the most advanced technologies for high-performance bio-sensing. However, the rigid mechanical properties and the lack of tissue/skin adhesion from transistors largely prevent the formation of such intimate and long-term stable bio-interfaces. Also, immune-mediated foreign-body response (FBR) stands as the most widely existing challenge, which can lead to the growth of fibrotic tissue at the tissue-device interface. In this talk, I will first introduce our material and device designs for introducing tissue-adhesive properties onto transistor-based biosensors. Then, to combat FBR, I will introduce a set of molecular design strategies for enhancing the immune compatibility of semiconducting polymers. I will also introduce the strategies and advantages of using these new biomimetic properties in bioelectrical and biochemical sensing.