Bio-functionalized organic electrochemical transistors for in vitro recording of electrogenic cells

Erica Zeglio^a, Jake Ireland^b, Yazhou Wang^c, Lorenzo Travaglini^d, Vasiliki Patsaki^a, Wan Yue^c, Adam Micolich^e, Antonio Lauto^f, Christopher Kilian^b, Damia Mawadd^d, Anna Herland^a^,^g

^aDepartment of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden

^bSchool of Chemistry, Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia

^cState Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Key Laboratory for Polymeric Composite and Functional Materials of Ministry of Education, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronic Materials and Wearable Devices, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People’s Republic of China

^dSchool of Materials Science and Engineering and Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia

^eSchool of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia

^fSchool of Science, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith 2751, New South Wales, Australia

^gDepartment of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Proceedings of Organic Bioelectronics Conference 2022 (OBe2022)

Online, Spain, 2022 February 8th - 9th

Organizers: Christopher Proctor, Maria Asplund and Mary Donahue

Invited Speaker, Erica Zeglio, presentation 016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29363/nanoge.obe.2022.016
Publication date: 14th January 2022

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are electronic devices having organic mixed
ionic/electronic conductors as core components. The efficient ion-to-electron conversion of
organic materials allows for low operating voltages, high amplification, and adaptability to various
form factors. These characteristics, together with operation in physiological conditions make
OECTs promising devices for bioelectronics, including the recording of action potentials from
electrogenic cells.[1].

When interfacing with cells in vitro, the active material should satisfy several requirements
to allow both device performance and a suitable platform for cell culture. On the device side, the
conjugated polymer should provide a path for ionic and electronic conductivity as well as stability
in contact with aqueous electrolytes. Additionally, for in vitro cell culture, the polymer should be
resistant to sterilization, provide long-term stability in conditions needed for cell survival (i.e., 37
ºC in cell culture media), and offer a suitable substrate for cell attachment.

Conjugated polymers with ethylene glycol side chains provide films that are stable in
contact with water and that have the mixed ionic/electronic conductivity needed for efficient
OECT operation. However, ethylene glycol side chains, with their antifouling properties, offer a
poor substrate for cell adhesion.[2]

Here, we focus our attention to the cell-device interface. We develop polymer blends
combining efficient OECT operation and the functionalities needed for conjugation with specific
cues for cell attachment. Isoindigo donor-acceptor copolymers with hybrid alkyl/ethylene glycol
side chains provide a path for electronic and ionic conductivity.[3] PEDOT having carboxyl side
groups [3,4] is used to couple functional groups for click-chemistry with cues for cell attachment.

The blends enabled long-term device stability, for up to 6 months in cell culture media.
Covalent attachment of an extracellular matrix protein (i.e., fibronectin) provided a suitable
platform for attachment and recording of human embryonic stem cells-derived cardiomyocytes.
Overall, the blends offer a versatile strategy to attach cues that can be used to promote and/or
modulate cell-device interaction. As active materials for OECTs, the blends provide a suitable
platform to monitor the activity of electrogenic cells in vitro.

References:

[1] [1] E. Zeglio, O. Inganäs, Adv. Mater. 2018, 30, 1.

[2] [2] J-G. Wu, J-H. Chen, K-T. Liu, S-C. Luo, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2019, 11, 21294.

[3] [3] Y. Wang, E. Zeglio, H. Liao, J. Xu, F. Liu, Z. Li, I. P. Maria, D. Mawad, A. Herland, I. Mcculloch, W. Yue, Chem. Mater. 2019, 31, 9797.

[4] D. Mawad, A. Artzy-Schnirman, J. Tonkin, J. Ramos, S. Inal, M. M. Mahat, N. Darwish, L. Zwi- Dantsis, G. G. Malliaras, J. J. Gooding, A. Lauto, M. M. Stevens, Chem. Mater. 2016, 28, 6080.

[5] [5] L. Jiang, C. Gentile, A. Lauto, C. Cui, Y. Song, T. Romeo, S. M. Silva, O. Tang, P. Sharma, G. Figtree, J. J. Gooding, D. Mawad, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2017, 9, 44124.

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