Vito Vurro1,Ilaria Venturino1,2,Guglielmo Lanzani1,2
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia1,Politecnico di Milano2
Vito Vurro1,Ilaria Venturino1,2,Guglielmo Lanzani1,2
Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia1,Politecnico di Milano2
Optical methods represent a powerful and non-invasive tool to stimulate and probe biological matter. In particular, conjugated molecules and macromolecules have been demonstrated a great platform to interface with cells and living organisms.<sup>1,2</sup> This interaction has been promoted by materials high optical absorption/emission cross sections, versatility in chemical synthesis and low toxicity. Even though the efficiency of this approach has been demonstrated in neurosciences and cardiology,<sup>3–5</sup> the visible light absorption and the relative low penetration inside human body is still a critical point.<br/><br/>In this work, we evaluate the use of a novel NIR-absorbing organic bulk heterojunction (composed by a conjugated polymer and a small molecule) for living cells photostimulation. We initially developed a fabrication method to produce a diffuse interface shaping the material in the form of nanoparticles. Furthermore, we evaluate biocompatibility and photostimulation ability of the proposed blend.<br/><br/><br/><b>References</b><br/><br/>1. Di Maria, F., Lodola, F., Zucchetti, E., Benfenati, F. & Lanzani, G. The evolution of artificial light actuators in living systems: from planar to nanostructured interfaces. <i>Chem. Soc. Rev.</i> <b>47</b>, 4757–4780 (2018).<br/>2. Hopkins, J. <i>et al.</i> Photoactive Organic Substrates for Cell Stimulation: Progress and Perspectives. <i>Adv. Mater. Technol.</i> <b>4</b>, 1800744 (2019).<br/>3. Maya-Vetencourt, J. F. <i>et al.</i> A fully organic retinal prosthesis restores vision in a rat model of degenerative blindness. <i>Nat. Mater.</i> <b>16</b>, 681–689 (2017).<br/>4. Lodola, F., Vurro, V., Crasto, S., Di Pasquale, E. & Lanzani, G. Optical Pacing of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes Mediated by a Conjugated Polymer Interface. <i>Adv. Healthc. Mater.</i> <b>8</b>, 1900198 (2019).<br/>5. Vurro, V. <i>et al.</i> A Polymer Blend Substrate for Skeletal Muscle Cells Alignment and Photostimulation. <i>Adv. Photonics Res.</i> <b>2</b>, 2000103 (2021).