Publication date: 15th December 2025
The field of bioelectronics involves the fascinating interplay between biology and human-made electronics. However, the difference in the physical nature of soft biological elements and rigid electronic materials calls for conductive and/or electroactive materials with added biomimetic properties to bridge the gap. Soft electronics that utilize organic conjugated polymers can bring many important features to bioelectronics. Amongst the many advantages of conjugated polymers, the ability to modulate the biocompatibility, solubility, functionality and mechanical properties through side-chain engineering can alleviate the issues of mechanical mismatch and provide a better interface between the electronics and biological elements. In this talk, I will focus on our recent progress in the molecular engineering of conjugated polymers with tunable biomimetic properties, such as biocompatibility, responsiveness, stretchability, self-healing and adhesion, and their applications. In addition, I will present our recent progress in utilizing similar approaches to achieve transience in polymer electronics.
Royal Society of New Zealand, Marsden Fund, project 20-UOA-314.
