Carbonized Silk Nanofibers in Biodegradable, Flexible Temperature Sensors for Extracellular Environments

Abstract

Temperature is one of the key parameters for activity of cells. The trade-off between sensitivity and biocompatibility of cell temperature measurement is a challenge for temperature sensor development. Herein, a highly sensitive, biocompatible, and degradable temperature sensor was proposed to detect the living cell extracellular environments. Biocompatible silk materials were applied as sensing and packing layers, which endow the device with biocompatibility, biodegradability, and flexibility. The silk-based temperature sensor presented a sensitivity of 1.75%/°C and a working range of 35–63 °C with the capability to measure the extracellular environments. At the bending state, this sensor worked at promising response of cells at different temperatures. The applications of this developed silk material-based temperature sensor include biological electronic devices for cell manipulation, cell culture, and cellular metabolism.

Toward Sustainable Wearable Electronic Textiles

“…Based on their structural merits of high surface area, ease of manufacturing, and design flexibility, electrospun biodegradable membranes have shown to be promising for providing higher functionalities than conventional melt-spinning and inkjet processes. ,,, One of the most studied materials are biodegradable polymers with triboelectric and piezoelectric properties, which induce the redistribution of charges in a controllable manner depending on how the membrane is mechanically deformed. There are several examples in the literature that demonstrate the successful electrospinning synthesis of biodegradable tribo-/piezoelectric polymers, such as poly­(lactic- co -glycolic acid) (PLGA) as well as silk fibroin, which could be used in energy harvesting and sensing applications. ,,, In fact, electrospun biodegradable membranes have also been utilized as the essential component in “electronic skin” devices, which are biocompatible sensor arrays that detect changes in multiple physicochemical parameters for providing on-site health monitoring and diagnostics. − Moreover, electrospinning supports the incorporation of functional molecules in the nanofiber membrane itself, which is beneficial for wearable textiles because it provides additional functionality. , A recent report by Lee et al synthesized nanofiber membranes functionalized with violacein, a naturally occurring violet-colored pigment, by electrospinning a polymer solution containing the violacein molecules. , As a result, in addition to the membrane’s ability to filter out particulate matter (PM), the violacein-embedded membrane showed antibacterial and antiviral properties as well as UV-shielding performance. Though this polymer is not strictly biodegradable, we highlight this case study as an example of the versatility of electrospinning in adding desired functionalities to fiber membranes.…”

“… 326 , 327 , 329 , 330 In fact, electrospun biodegradable membranes have also been utilized as the essential component in “electronic skin” devices, which are biocompatible sensor arrays that detect changes in multiple physicochemical parameters for providing on-site health monitoring and diagnostics. 331 − 333 Moreover, electrospinning supports the incorporation of functional molecules in the nanofiber membrane itself, which is beneficial for wearable textiles because it provides additional functionality. 328 , 334 A recent report by Lee et al synthesized nanofiber membranes functionalized with violacein, a naturally occurring violet-colored pigment, by electrospinning a polymer solution containing the violacein molecules.…”

Tetra-Nuclear Cluster-Based Lanthanide Metal–Organic Frameworks as White Phosphor, Information Encryption, Self-Calibrating Thermometers, and Fe2+ Sensors

“…Traditional thermometers need to have a certain contact area with the object during the measurement process, but these contact thermometers have great limitations in some extreme scientific research environments . With the rapid development of science, traditional thermometers no longer meet the temperature measurement requirements in high-tech fields of nanomaterials and biological cells . To overcome these limitations, researchers are working on non-contact thermometers.…”

“…16 With the rapid development of science, traditional thermometers no longer meet the temperature measurement requirements in high-tech fields of nanomaterials and biological cells. 17 To overcome these limitations, researchers are working on non-contact thermometers. Light source-based self-calibrated temperature measurement technology is becoming popular due to its noncontact, fast response, and it is considered to be one of the most promising methods due to its advantages of high accuracy, high reliability, and short response time.…”

Environmentally Tolerant Ionic Hydrogel with High Power Density for Low-Grade Heat Harvesting

“…Flexible electronics have attracted more and more attention due to their excellent flexibility, portability, biocompatibility, and broad application prospects − in the area of health monitoring, − electronic skin, − artificial intelligence, and so on, which have a profound impact on people’s lives. As frequent charging is inconvenient for applications such as health monitoring, it is urgent to develop a facile and efficient energy-harvesting method for flexible equipment.…”