Organic Bioelectronics : Electrochemical Devices using Conjugated Polymers

Since the Nobel Prize awarded discovery that some polymers or “plastics” can be made electronically conducting, the scientific field of organic electronics has arisen. The use of conducting polymers in electronic devices is appealing, because the materials can be processed from a liquid phase, much like ordinary non-conducting plastics. This gives the opportunity to utilize printing technologies and manufacture electronics roll-to-roll on flexible substrates, ultimately at very low costs. Even more intriguing are the possibilities to achieve completely novel functionalities in combination with the inherent compatibility of these materials with biological species. Therefore, organic electronics can be merged with biology and medicine to create organic bioelectronics, i.e. organic electronic devices that interact with biological samples directly or are used for biological applications. This thesis aims at giving a background to the field of organic bioelectronics and focuses on how electrochemical devices may be utilized. An organic electronic wettability switch that can be used for lab-on-a-chip applications and control of cell growth as well as an electrochemical ion pump for cell communication and drug delivery are introduced. Furthermore, the underlying electrochemical structures that are the basis for the above mentioned devices, electrochemical display pixels etc. are discussed in detail. In summary, the work contributes to the understanding of electrochemical polymer electronics and, by presenting new bioelectronic inventions, builds a foundation for future projects and discoveries