Project description
Degradable organic electrochemical transistors for sustainable bioelectronics
Bioelectronic devices, whether in the body or the environment, should safely degrade after use, but most materials currently persist indefinitely. Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are among the most promising bioelectronic platforms. Achieving controlled degradation – particularly in the n-type variants essential for detecting biologically relevant anions – is problematic. Conjugated polymers are the most important part of OECTs, but ensuring simultaneous operational stability and degradability is challenging. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the DOPTE project aims to solve this with a new class of degradable n-type conjugated polymers. The resulting design guidelines could reduce the need for surgical device retrieval and advance sustainable next-generation bioelectronics.
Objective
The rapid growth of bioelectronics creates an urgent need for sustainable and degradable materials that can safely disappear after use, avoiding long-term persistence in the body or the environment. Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), with low-voltage operation, high ionic sensitivity, and good biocompatibility, are among the most powerful device platforms in bioelectronics. While degradation has been shown in selected p-type OECTs, progress on n-type counterparts is very limited. This gap is critical, as n-type OECTs are indispensable for detecting biologically relevant anions and enabling complementary circuits. To date, no reliable strategies exist to achieve controlled degradation of bioelectronics under physiologically relevant conditions—an essential requirement for biomedical and environmental applications.
Conjugated polymers are the most important part of OECTs, combining electronic functionality with tunable chemical structures. Yet designing systems that deliver both high charge transport and predictable degradation remains highly challenging, since the structural features stabilizing electronic states often resist breakdown, whereas degradable motifs tend to compromise stability and conductivity.
The DOPTE project addresses this challenge by creating degradable n-type conjugated polymers that unite electronic performance with controlled degradation. The central strategy is to integrate cleavable motifs into high-performance conjugated backbones, enabling degradation under physiological conditions or through near-infrared activation. The project will establish design guidelines for degradable bioelectronics, with the potential to reduce surgical retrieval in biomedical devices and support sustainable materials for next-generation bioelectronics. It will provide me with key interdisciplinary training to strengthen my development as an independent researcher.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
10691 Stockholm
Sweden
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.