SmallTalks "Revealing the Nanostructure of Electronic Neuro-Pharmaceuticals through Electron Microscopy"

Abstract 

Advances in diagnostics and therapies for various brain disorders are enabling new treatment avenues. Common treatments rely on using biochemical mechanisms and invasive electrical therapies. In recent years, electronic neuro-pharmaceuticals have emerged as promising alternative treatments, where organic electronic devices are manufactured in vivo, within the brain tissue. Conducting polymers are often the material of choice for these devices, since the polymers can be tailored to have similar mechanical and electrical properties as the biological tissue and have high biocompatibility. In this project, we investigate the use of water-soluble thiophene-based monomers as precursors for conducting polymers used in bioelectronics such as organic electrochemical transistors for neuromorphic applications and conducting hydrogels. Knowledge about the detailed structure of the materials in the bioelectronics is important for understanding and optimizing their properties. In this talk, I will show you how electron microscopy can be used to study the functional micro- and nanostructure of these materials.