Carbon-based electronics boast wide-ranging applications as implantable bioelectronics
Carbon-based electronics boast wide-ranging applications as implantable bioelectronics lead image
Carbon is the foundation for all known life on Earth and it may also be the key to enhancing human life through implantable technologies. Carbon-based materials like graphene or carbon nanotubes boast biocompatibility, excellent electrical and mechanical properties, and durability.
Liu et al. examined recent technological advancements in carbon-based medical implants, identified limitations, and proposed next steps.
“With the rapid advancements in biology, microelectronics, and materials science, carbon-based materials have emerged as promising candidates for creating highly efficient and biocompatible implantable devices,” said author Chenzhong Li. “We aim to provide an insight into the current state of this field and explore its potential for precision diagnosis and treatment.”
As biosensors, carbon-based materials facilitate real-time neural, cardiovascular, or blood glucose monitoring, which can inform personalized medical care. Carbon-based devices also facilitate treatment through targeted, controlled drug delivery that reduces side effects and improves treatment efficiency.
In other applications, carbon-based devices are themselves the treatment. Taking advantage of high electrical conductivity, carbon-based actuators stimulate neurons to treat neurological disorders like Parkinson’s and epilepsy.
“One finding that surprised us was the potential of carbon-based materials to regulate stem cell differentiation,” said Li. “Studies have shown that electrical stimulation using graphene-based materials can influence the direction of stem cell differentiation, promoting neuronal growth and differentiation. This presents exciting possibilities for using carbon-based implants in regenerative medicine.”
The field still faces some limitations, including a lack of long-term studies on biocompatibility, demand for miniaturization to integrate the needed technology, energy storage solutions, and improved signal processing and data analysis. Nevertheless, the authors are hopeful that future interdisciplinary work will help advance the technology.
Source: “Carbon-based implantable bioelectronics,” by Shan Liu, Xue Li, Li Gan, Sutong Liu, Hongzhi Luo, Xiaoxin Du, Samah A Loutfy, Hong Tan, Jinhong Guo, and Chenzhong Li, Applied Physics Reviews (2024). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0160168 .
This paper is part of the Materials and Technologies for Bioimaging and Biosensing Collection, learn more here .
