21 - Organic bioelectronics

Abstract

In this chapter we focus on a novel boosting development of organic electronics that exploits the mixed electronic and ionic conduction that certain organic materials can sustain, to produce a wide range of devices with potential applications in bioelectronics. Examples of such devices are organic electrochemical transistors and miniaturized bio-laboratories making use of conducting polymers, whose physico-chemical properties are controlled electronically. Organic electrochemical transistors can be operated in aqueous environment as efficient ion-to-electron converters, thus providing an interface between the worlds of biology and electronics. For this reason, they present exciting opportunities for applications in biosensing. Biocompatible organic conducting polymers able to operate in aqueous environment can be interfaced with biological systems. By exploiting conducting polymer properties such as electrochemical switching and combined electronic and ionic transport, it is possible to use the polymers as platforms where cells can adhere and proliferate.