Review paper: Progress in the Field of Conducting Polymers for Tissue Engineering Applications

Abstract

This review focuses on one of the most exciting applications area of conjugated conducting polymers, which is tissue engineering. Strategies used for the biocompatibility improvement of this class of polymers (including biomolecules' entrapment or covalent grafting) and also the integrated novel technologies for smart scaffolds generation such as micropatterning, electrospinning, self-assembling are emphasized. These processing alternatives afford the electroconducting polymers nanostructures, the most appropriate forms of the materials that closely mimic the critical features of the natural extracellular matrix. Due to their capability to electronically control a range of physical and chemical properties, conducting polymers such as polyaniline, polypyrrole, and polythiophene and/or their derivatives and composites provide compatible substrates which promote cell growth, adhesion, and proliferation at the polymer-tissue interface through electrical stimulation. The activities of different types of cells on these materials are also presented in detail. Specific cell responses depend on polymers surface characteristics like roughness, surface free energy, topography, chemistry, charge, and other properties as electrical conductivity or mechanical actuation, which depend on the employed synthesis conditions. The biological functions of cells can be dramatically enhanced by biomaterials with controlled organizations at the nanometer scale and in the case of conducting polymers, by the electrical stimulation. The advantages of using biocompatible nanostructures of conducting polymers (nanofibers, nanotubes, nanoparticles, and nanofilaments) in tissue engineering are also highlighted.

Enhanced high temperature thermoelectric response of sulphuric acid treated conducting polymer thin films

“…1-4 Solution processability, flexibility, lightweight and cost-effectiveness are the key attributes of CPs which make them compatible in various applications. [4][5][6] For example, CPs can be used as both active and passive materials in organic electronics 6,7 and chemical or electrochemical sensors 8 , owing to the tunable electrical conductivity and surface properties. 9 Intrinsic low thermal conductivity of CPs (at least one order of magnitude lower to inorganic materials) due to nanostructured interfaces or grains is one of the potential aspects in exploring CPs as thermoelectric materials.…”

Polythiophene-g-poly(ethylene glycol) graft copolymers for electroactive scaffolds

“…Biomedical applications of CPs have been recently reviewed. 12,13 In spite of this, there is always a desire to further optimize a material for a specic application. The two common properties desired for all biomedical Scheme 1 Chemical structure of PEDOT.…”

Incorporation of Conductive Materials into Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering Applications

“…However, the unreformed and straightforward form of PPy can be synthesized to have an additional small biological anion (Cl-) as a dopant to confer additional biological properties or to improve the stability of PPy. It can be innovated to support growth of various cell types and to encourage specific aspects of wound healing by simply changing the dopant [71][72][73]. Furthermore, it is essential to consider controlling the mechanical properties.…”