Periodic Reporting for period 1 - UMICs (Uncovering Ion-Electron Interactions in Organic Mixed Conductors)
Período documentado: 2021-05-10 hasta 2023-05-09
Our methodology focused on the kinetics of bioelectronic device operation. We found an accurate way to predict speed of operation by understanding how ion-electron interactions alter the transport properties in OMIECs. Furthermore, we discovered a new fundamental speed limit for switching bioelectronic devices from the OFF to the ON state. We show that the quickest path to overcoming this speed limit is to maximize the homogeneity of the OMIEC nanostructure. The fundamental insights resulting from this project inform the design of next-generation high-speed bioelectronic devices and materials, helping them advance beyond the lab into commercial and clinical applications.
We used the optical microscopy to study a handful of OMIECs and found that the technique can differentiate between ionic and electronic limited motion. From this, we found that at very low electronic carrier concentrations, electronic motion is slower than ionic motion thereby limiting the operational speed of a device. We used diffraction-based transmission electron microscopy to image the nanoscale order of OMIECs, revealing that heterogenous order causes the slow electronic motion.
The insights from the research performed in this project will aid in the design of novel organic electronic materials for bioelectronic devices. With better materials, we expect organic bioelectronics to have great impact on the future of healthcare. Organic materials can be used to make bioelectrodes which cause much lower immune response compared to their metal counterparts. Additionally, the volumetric scaling of the charge capacity of OMIECs enables stimulation electrodes with orders of magnitude higher charge injection capacity that can operate at low frequencies down to 1 Hz. These properties of OMIECs open the path towards chronically stable implantable electronics, and the better understanding resulting from the project will directly help to translate these devices from research to clinical applications.