Organic electronic materials have been considered for a wide-range of technological applications. More recently these organic (semi)conductors (encompassing both conducting and semi-conducting organic electronic materials) have received increasing attention as materials for bioelectronic applications. Biological tissues typically comprise soft, elastic, carbon-based macromolecules and polymers, and communication in these biological systems is usually mediated via mixed electronic and ionic conduction. In contrast to hard inorganic semiconductors, whose primary charge carriers are electrons and holes, organic (semi)conductors uniquely match the mechanical and conduction properties of biotic tissue. Here, we review the biocompatibility of organic electronic materials and their implementation in bioelectronic applications.
Keywords: biocompatibility; bioelectronics; drug delivery; nerve cell regeneration; neural interface; organic electronics.