Biocompatible and Biodegradable Materials for Organic Field‐Effect Transistors

Abstract

Biocompatible‐ingestible electronic circuits and capsules for medical diagnosis and monitoring are currently based on traditional silicon technology. Organic electronics has huge potential for developing biodegradable, biocompatible, bioresorbable, or even metabolizable products. An ideal pathway for such electronic devices involves fabrication with materials from nature, or materials found in common commodity products. Transistors with an operational voltage as low as 4–5 V, a source drain current of up to 0.5 μA and an on‐off ratio of 3–5 orders of magnitude have been fabricated with such materials. This work comprises steps towards environmentally safe devices in low‐cost, large volume, disposable or throwaway electronic applications, such as in food packaging, plastic bags, and disposable dishware. In addition, there is significant potential to use such electronic items in biomedical implants.

Inorganic semiconducting materials for flexible and stretchable electronics

“…Many other materials options are also available. 91,95,96 Figure 7b shows images of a representative device platform that includes Inorganic semiconducting materials KJ Yu et al inductors, capacitors, resistors, diodes, transistors, and interconnects and encapsulants all integrated on silk substrate, where the key defining characteristics are high-performance operation with constituent materials that are completely water soluble to biologically and environmentally safe end products. Figure 7b (bottom frames) illustrates the disintegration and dissolution of such a system in deionized water.…”

Self-standing chitosan films as dielectrics in organic thin-film transistors

“…In view of its properties, like excellent film-forming ability, biocompatibility and biodegradability [4] chitosan and derivatives have been used in biomedical applications, such as gene delivery, biosensors [6] and also as proton exchange membranes [7]. These applications offer the prospects for the fabrication of biocompatible devices that could operate in biologically relevant media (for instance for smart sensing and preventive medical care), an area that is attracting an increasing attention [8]. In 2011, two reports appeared on the use of chitosan-based materials in electronics.…”

Biologically derived melanin electrodes in aqueous sodium-ion energy storage devices

“…biomaterial | organic electronics | biopolymer | battery T he recent emergence of biodegradable electronics has the potential to transform permanent implantable electronically active biomedical devices into temporary components (1)(2)(3)(4). This approach to medical devices can preserve sophisticated capabilities of electronic systems while obviating risks associated with chronic implants (5).…”

“…This approach to medical devices can preserve sophisticated capabilities of electronic systems while obviating risks associated with chronic implants (5). Biodegradable electronics devices have been fabricated using a variety of natural and synthetic materials (3,4,(6)(7)(8). However, autonomous on-board power generation remains a significant challenge.…”