Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Organic Electronics at the Interface with Biology

  • Technical Feature
  • Published:
MRS Bulletin Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The emergence of organic electronics represents one of the most dramatic technological developments of the past two decades. Perhaps the most important frontier of this field involves the interface with biology. The “soft” nature of organics offers better mechanical compatibility with tissue than traditional electronic materials, while their natural compatibility with mechanically flexible substrates suits the nonplanar form factors often required for implants. More importantly, the ability of organics to conduct ions in addition to electrons and holes opens up a new communication channel with biology. In this article, we consider a few examples that illustrate the coupling between organic electronics and biology and highlight new directions of research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. G. Malliaras, R. Friend, Phys. Today 58 (5), 53 (2005).

    Google Scholar 

  2. M. Pope, C.E. Swenberg, Electronic Processes in Organic Crystals and Polymers (Oxford University Press, NY, 1999).

    Google Scholar 

  3. H. Shirakawa, E.J. Louis, A.G. Macdiarmid, C.K. Chiang, A.J. Heeger, J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Commun. (16), 578 (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  4. P.M. Borsenberger, D.S. Weiss, Organic Photoreceptors for Xerography (Marcel Dekker, NY, 1998).

    Google Scholar 

  5. C.W. Tang, S.A. Vanslyke, Appl. Phys. Lett. 51 (12), 913 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  6. R.H. Friend, R.W. Gymer, A.B. Holmes, J.H. Burroughes, R.N. Marks, C. Taliani, D.D.C. Bradley, D.A. Dos Santos, J.L. Bredas, M. Logdlund, W.R. Salaneck, Nature 397 (6715), 121 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  7. M. Berggren, A. Richter-Dahlfors, Adv. Mater. 19 (20), 3201 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  8. J.D. Newman, A.P.F. Turner, Biosens. Bioelectron. 20 (12), 2435 (2005).

    Google Scholar 

  9. L.C. Clark, Jr., C. Lyons, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 102, 29 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  10. A.P.F. Turner, Sens. Actuators 17 (3–4), 433 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  11. A.E.G. Cass, G. Davis, G.D. Francis, H.A.O. Hill, W.J. Aston, I.J. Higgins, E.V. Plotkin, L.D.L. Scott, A.P.F. Turner, Anal. Chem. 56 (4), 667 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  12. D.T. McQuade, A.E. Pullen, T.M. Swager, Chem. Rev. 100 (7), 2537 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  13. N.K. Guimard, N. Gomez, C.E. Schmidt, Prog. Polym. Sci. 32 (8–9), 876 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  14. A. Heller, J. Phys. Chem. 96 (9), 3579 (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  15. G.P. Kittlesen, H.S. White, M.S. Wrighton, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 106 (24), 7389 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  16. D.A. Bernards, G.G. Malliaras, Adv. Funct. Mater. 17 (17), 3538 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Z.T. Zhu, J.T. Mabeck, C.C. Zhu, N.C. Cady, C.A. Batt, G.G. Malliaras, Chem. Commun. (13), 1556 (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  18. D.A. Bernards, D.J. Macaya, M. Nikolou, J.A. DeFranco, S. Takamatsu, G.G. Malliaras, J. Mater. Chem. 18 (1), 116 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  19. N.Y. Shim, D.A. Bernards, D.J. Macaya, J.A. DeFranco, M. Nikolou, R.M. Owens, G.G. Malliaras, Sens. Basel 9 (12), 9896 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  20. S.Y. Yang, J.A. DeFranco, Y.A. Sylvester, T. Gobert, D.J. Macaya, R.M. Owens, G.G. Malliaras, Lab Chip 9 (5), 704 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  21. D. Nilsson, T. Kugler, P.O. Svensson, M. Berggren, Sens. Actuators, B 86 (2–3), 193 (2002).

    Google Scholar 

  22. D.A. Bernards, G.G. Malliaras, G.E.S. Toombes, S.M. Gruner, Appl. Phys. Lett. 89 (5), (2006).

  23. I.K. Vockenroth, C. Ohm, J.W.F. Robertson, D.J. McGillivray, M. Losche, I. Koper, Biointerphases 3 (2), FA68 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  24. N. Costantini, G. Wegner, M. Mierzwa, T. Pakula, Macromol. Chem. Phys. 206 (14), 1345 (2005).

    Google Scholar 

  25. L. Torsi, Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 384 (2), 309 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  26. J.T. Mabeck, G.G. Malliaras, Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 384 (2), 343 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  27. T. Someya, A. Dodabalapur, A. Gelperin, H.E. Katz, Z. Bao, Langmuir 18 (13), 5299 (2002).

    Google Scholar 

  28. C. Bartic, A. Campitelli, S. Borghs, Appl. Phys. Lett. 82 (3), 475 (2003).

    Google Scholar 

  29. A. Loi, I. Manunza, A. Bonfiglio, Appl. Phys. Lett. 86 (10), 103512 (2005).

    Google Scholar 

  30. A. Caboni, E. Orgiu, M. Barbaro, A. Bonfiglio, IEEE Sens. J. 9 (12), 1963 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  31. A.K. Diallo, J. Tardy, Z.Q. Zhang, F. Bessueille, N. Jaffrezic-Renault, M. Lemiti, Appl. Phys. Lett. 94 (26), (2009).

  32. P. Rai, S. Jung, T. Ji, V.K. Varadan, IEEE Sens. J. 9 (12), 1987 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  33. S.W. Thomas, G.D. Joly, T.M. Swager, Chem. Rev. 107 (4), 1339 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  34. K. Haupt, K. Mosbach, Chem. Rev. 100 (7), 2495 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  35. B. Choudhury, R. Shinar, J. Shinar, J. Appl. Phys. 96 (5), 2949 (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  36. Y. Cai, R. Shinar, Z. Zhou, J. Shinar, Sens. Actuators, B 134 (2), 727 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  37. O. Hofmann, X.H. Wang, J.C. deMello, D.D.C. Bradley, A.J. deMello, Lab Chip 5 (8), 863 (2005).

    Google Scholar 

  38. E. Kraker, A. Haase, B. Lamprecht, G. Jakopic, C. Konrad, S. Köstler, Appl. Phys. Lett. 92 (3), 033302 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  39. J.Y. Wong, R. Langer, D.E. Ingber, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91 (8), 3201 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  40. C.E. Schmidt, V.R. Shastri, J.P. Vacanti, R. Langer, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 94 (17), 8948 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  41. N.K. Guimard, N. Gomez, C.E. Schmidt, Progr. Polym. Sci. 32, 876 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  42. D.-H. Kim, S. R.-Burns, L. Povlich, M.R. Abidian, S. Spanninga, J.L. Hendricks, D.C. Martin, in Indwelling Neural Implants: Strategies for Contending with the In Vivo Environment, W.M. Reichert, Ed. (CRC Press, Durham, NC, 2007).

    Google Scholar 

  43. A.N. Zelikin, D.M. Lynn, J. Farhadi, I. Martin, V. Shastri, R. Langer, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 41 (1), 141 (2002).

    Google Scholar 

  44. K. Svennersten, M.H. Bolin, E.W.H. Jager, M. Berggren, A. Richter-Dahlfors, Biomaterials 30 (31), 6257 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  45. A.M.D. Wan, D.J. Brooks, A. Gumus, C. Fischbach, G.G. Malliaras, Chem. Commun. (35), 5278 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  46. M.H. Bolin, K. Svennersten, D. Nilsson, A. Sawatdee, E.W.H. Jager, A. Richter-Dahlfors, M. Berggren, Adv. Mater. 21 (43), 4379 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  47. M.H. Bolin, K. Svennersten, X.J. Wang, I.S. Chronakis, A. Richter-Dahlfors, E.W.H. Jager, M. Berggren, Sens. Actuators, B 142 (2), 451 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  48. K.E. Uhrich, S.M. Cannizzaro, R.S. Langer, K.M. Shakesheff, Chem. Rev. 99 (11), 3181 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  49. A.J. Hodgson, M.J. John, T. Campbell, A. Georgevich, S. Woodhouse, T. Aoki, N. Ogata, G.G. Wallace, (1996), Proc. SPIE, Vol. 2716, 164 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  50. R. Wadhwa, C.F. Lagenaur, X.T. Cui, J. Control Release 110 (3), 531 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  51. M.R. Abidian, D.H. Kim, D.C. Martin, Adv. Mater. 18 (4), 405 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  52. J. Isaksson, P. Kjall, D. Nilsson, N.D. Robinson, M. Berggren, A. Richter-Dahlfors, Nat. Mater. 6 (9), 673 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  53. D.T. Simon, S. Kurup, K.C. Larsson, R. Hori, K. Tybrandt, M. Goiny, E.H. Jager, M. Berggren, B. Canlon, A. Richter-Dahlfors, Nat. Mater. 8 (9), 742 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  54. J.S. Foos, S.M. Erker, J. Electrochem. Soc. 133 (9), 1983 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  55. D.-H. Kim, S. Richardson-Burns, L. Povlich, M.R. Abidian, S. Spanninga, J. Hendricks, D.C. Martin, in Indwelling Neural Implants: Strategies for Contending with the In Vivo Environment, W.M. Reichert, Ed. (CRC Press, Taylor and Francis, Boca Raton, FL, 2008), pp. 165–207.

    Google Scholar 

  56. R.A. Green, N.H. Lovell, G.G. Wallace, L.A. Poole-Warren, Biomaterials 29 (24–25), 3393 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  57. K.A. Ludwig, J.D. Uram, J.Y. Yang, D.C. Martin, D.R. Kipke, J. Neural Eng. 3 (1), 59 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  58. T. Nyberg, O. Inganas, H. Jerregard, Biomed. Microdevices 4 (1), 43 (2002).

    Google Scholar 

  59. D.H. Kim, M. Abidian, D.C. Martin, J. Biomed. Mater. Res., Part A 71A (4), 577 (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  60. D.H. Kim, S.M. Richardson-Burns, J.L. Hendricks, C. Sequera, D.C. Martin, Adv. Funct. Mater. 17 (1), 79 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  61. R.T. Richardson, A.K. Wise, B.C. Thompson, B.O. Flynn, P.J. Atkinson, N.J. Fretwell, J.B. Fallon, G.G. Wallace, R.K. Shepherd, G.M. Clark, S.J. O’Leary, Biomaterials 30 (13), 2614 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  62. M.R. Abidian, K.A. Ludwig, T.C. Marzullo, D.C. Martin, D.R. Kipke, Adv. Mater. 21 (37), 3764 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  63. S.M. Richardson-Burns, J.L. Hendricks, B. Foster, L.K. Povlich, D.H. Kim, D.C. Martin, Biomaterials 28 (8), 1539 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  64. P. Fromherz, in Nanoelectronics and Information Technology, R. Waser, Ed. (Wiley-VCH Verlag, Berlin, 2003), pp. 781–810.

    Google Scholar 

  65. L. Torsi, A. Dodabalapur, L. Sabbatini, P.G. Zambonin, Sens. Actuators, B 67 (3), 312 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  66. C.A. Marquette, L.J. Blum, Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 390 (1), 155 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  67. M. Hamedi, R. Forchheimer, O. Inganas, Nat. Mater. 6 (5), 357 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  68. E. Smela, MRS Bull. 33 (3), 197 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  69. T. Someya, B. Pal, J. Huang, H.E. Katz, MRS Bull. 33 (7), 690 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  70. F. Alibart, S. Pleutin, D. Guérin, C. Novembre, S. Lenfant, K. Lmimouni, C. Gamrat, D. Vuillaume, Adv. Funct. Mater. 20 (2), 330.

Download references

Authors
  1. Róisín M. Owens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. George G. Malliaras
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Owens, R., Malliaras, G.G. Organic Electronics at the Interface with Biology. MRS Bulletin 35, 449–456 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs2010.583

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs2010.583

Search

Navigation