Organic Bio-Electronics: Bridging The Gap Between Natural and Artificial Materials for Bio-Electronics Applications

Abstract

This paper aims to review current research and advancement in technology in organic bioelectronics and to reinvestigate the relationship between organic bioelectronics materials, properties, and application. A comprehensive literature review on organic bioelectronics and its dependent variables created a theoretical foundation for the paper. Using the review-centric theory, a model was developed and presented to encapsulate highly dynamic interaction of organic bioelectronics, synthetic and natural material sources that can be employed in present innovations and its implications on modern technologies. The model highlights the relationship between organic bioelectronics and its four main drivers namely, synthetic material (Piezoelectric energy harvesters), natural materials (electric organs), application (bio-devices, sensors, nanogenerators) and properties. Limitations to this research include; availability of raw materials in appropriate amounts, problems associated with interfacing natural with synthetic materials, maintenance of bioelectronics devices in living organisms and design methods for a variety of specific devices. The empirical data is limited to 4 dependent variables which do not present a conclusive theory about organic bioelectronics. In this review, we explored the possibility of interfacing synthetic material (PVDF) and a natural material (electric organ of Electrophorus electricus) by reviewing their properties, fabrication methods to create a composite that has application in a variety of bioelectronics devices.