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Monolithic (Binder Free) Carbon-Based Bioelectronic Devices for Biomodulation and Electroceutical Applications

Interests: Medical
Published:
Lead Inventor: Bozhi Tian
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SUMMARY

  • The global electroceuticals market is expected to reach $25+ billion by 2021.  Modern biolectronics with multi-scale structures are used extensively for drug delivery, biosensing, and biological modulations.  However, macroscopic bioelectronic devices are usually rigid and mechanically invasive to cells and tissues.  Therefore, nanostructuring of the bioelectronics surfaces represents a promising way to improve the performance of these devices.
  • Electrode surface coating with carbon nanomaterials, such as graphene and carbon nanotubes, is widely used to reduce the impedance at the electrode-saline junctions and increase the charge transfer rate.  However, the polymer binding process usually associated with carbon coating procedures may result in 'dead' volumes or surfaces and increased total device thickness.  Also, the potential production of free-standing carbon nanostructures after dissociation of the coating layer may result in biological complications in vivo.
  • This technology is a novel approach to create carbon-based biolectronic devices.  It uses a micelle-enabled self-assembly technique, to create monolithic (binder-free) carbon-based and flexible micro-supercapacitor-like systems for various types of bioelectronic interfaces.

FIGURE

Hierarchical porous carbon synthesis and characterization. a, Illustration of the preparation of hierarchical porous carbon. b, Transmission electron microscopy (left; scale bar, 100 nm), corresponding fast Fourier transform (left inset) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images (right; scale bar, 100 nm) of mesoporous materials showing the highly ordered mesostructures. c, Cross-sectional view (upper panels) and associated top view (lower panels) of the hierarchical porous material. Scale bar, 200 nm. d, Left: representative load versus displacement plots of the hierarchical porous thin film measured with a nano-indenter. Right: hardness and Young’s modulus calculated from the load versus displacement plots. e, Cross-sectional (false colour) SEM image of CMs cultured on the hierarchical porous film. Scale bar, 500 nm.
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ADVANTAGES

ADVANTAGES

  • Micelle-enabled self-assembly approach to create carbon-based systems that are monolithic (binder free)
  • Micro-supercapacitor-like device that is capable of biological modulation
  • Porous structures and interdigitated designs improve mechanics
  • Long term stability and reasonable biocompatibility

APPLICATIONS

  • Biological modulation
  • Electroceuticals
  • Bioelectronic interfaces

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