Issue 25, 2015

Toward organic electronics with properties inspired by biological tissue

Abstract

The carbon framework common to both organic semiconductors and biological structures suggests that these two classes of materials should be easily integrated. Substantial work, however, will be required to endow synthetic electroactive materials with properties resembling those of biological tissue, which exhibits extreme elasticity, biodegradability, and the capacity for self-repair. This Highlight reviews successful integration of organic semiconductor devices with biological systems, for example, in wearable and implantable health monitors and prosthetic devices. It then points to recent work in the areas of molecularly stretchable electronics, whole devices that can degrade under physiological conditions, and conjugated polymers capable of self-healing, which together suggest the possibility of a future in which organic electronics and biological tissue can interact seamlessly.

Graphical abstract: Toward organic electronics with properties inspired by biological tissue

Article information

Article type
Highlight
Submitted
23 Jan 2015
Accepted
23 Feb 2015
First published
26 Feb 2015
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2015,3, 4947-4952

Toward organic electronics with properties inspired by biological tissue

T. F. O'Connor, K. M. Rajan, A. D. Printz and D. J. Lipomi, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2015, 3, 4947 DOI: 10.1039/C5TB00173K

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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