| 1. |
- Asplund, Maria, 1978-
(författare)
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Conjugated Polymers for Neural Interfaces : Prospects, possibilities and future challenges
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Within the field of neuroprosthetics the possibility to use implanted electrodes for communication with the nervous system is explored. Much effort is put into the material aspects of the electrode implant to increase charge injection capacity, suppress foreign body response and build micro sized electrode arrays allowing close contact with neurons. Conducting polymers, in particular poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT), have been suggested as materials highly interesting for such neural communication electrodes. The possibility to tailor the material both mechanically and biochemically to suit specific applications, is a substantial benefit with polymers when compared to metals. PEDOT also have hybrid charge transfer properties, including both electronic and ionic conduction, which allow for highly efficient charge injection. Part of this thesis describes a method of tailoring PEDOT through exchanging the counter ion used in electropolymerisation process. Commonly used surfactants can thereby be excluded and instead, different biomolecules can be incorporated into the polymer. The electrochemical characteristics of the polymer film depend on the ion. PEDOT electropolymerised with heparin was here determined to have the most advantageous properties. In vitro methods were applied to confirm non-cytotoxicity of the formed PEDOT:biomolecular composites. In addition, biocompatibility was affirmed for PEDOT:heparin by evaluation of inflammatory response and neuron density when implanted in rodent cortex. One advantage with PEDOT often stated, is its high stability compared to other conducting polymers. A battery of tests simulating the biological environment was therefore applied to investigate this stability, and especially the influence of the incorporated heparin. These tests showed that there was a decline in the electroactivity of PEDOT over time. This also applied in phosphate buffered saline at body temperature and in the absence of other stressors. The time course of degradation also differed depending on whether the counter ion was the surfactant polystyrene sulphonate or heparin, with a slightly better stability for the former. One possibility with PEDOT, often overlooked for biological applications, is the use of its semi conducting properties in order to include logic functions in the implant. This thesis presents the concept of using PEDOT electrochemical transistors to construct textile electrode arrays with in-built multiplexing. Using the electrolyte mediated interaction between adjacent PEDOT coated fibres to switch the polymer coat between conducting and non conducting states, then transistor function can be included in the conducting textile. Analogue circuit simulations based on experimentally found transistor characteristics proved the feasibility of these textile arrays. Developments of better polymer coatings, electrolytes and encapsulation techniques for this technology, were also identified to be essential steps in order to make these devices truly useful. In summary, this work shows the potential of PEDOT to improve neural interfaces in several ways. Some weaknesses of the polymer and the polymer electronics are presented and this, together with the epidemiological data, should point in the direction for future studies within this field.
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| 2. |
- Bäcklund, Fredrik
(författare)
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Preparation and Application of Functionalized Protein Fibrils
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Many proteins have an innate ability to self-assemble into fibrous structures known as amyloid fibrils. From a material science perspective, fibrils have several interesting characteristics, including a high stability, a distinct shape and tunable surface properties. Such structures can be given additional properties through functionalization by other compounds such as fluorophores. Combination of fibrils with a function yielding compound can be achieved in several ways. Covalent bond attachment is specific, but cumbersome. External surface adhesion is nonspecific, but simple. However, in addition, internal non-covalent functionalization is possible. In this thesis, particular emphasis is put on internal functionalization of fibrils; by co-grinding fibril forming proteins with a hydrophobic molecule, a protein-hydrophobic compound molecule composite can be created that retains the proteins innate ability to form fibrils. Subsequently formed fibrils will thus have the structural properties of the protein fibril as well as the properties of the incorporated compound. The functionalization procedures used throughout this thesis are applicable for a wide range of chromophores commonly used for organic electronics and photonics. The methods developed and the prepared materials are useful for applications within optoelectronics as well as biomedicine.Regardless of the methodology of functionalization, using functionalized fibrils in a controlled fashion for material design requires an intimate understanding of the formation process and knowledge of the tools available to control not only the formation but also any subsequent macroscale assembly of fibrils. The development and application of such tools are described in several of the papers included in this thesis. With the required knowledge in hand, the possible influence of fibrils on the functionalizing agents, and vice versa, can be probed. The characteristic traits of the functionalized fibril can be customized and the resulting material can be organized and steered towards a specific shape and form. This thesis describes how control over the process of formation, functionalization and organization of functionalized fibrils can be utilized to influence the hierarchical assembly of fibrils – ranging from spherical structures to spirals; the function – fluorescent or conducting; and macroscopic properties – optical birefringence and specific arrangement of functionalized fibrils in the solid state. In conclusion, the use of amyloid fibrils in material science has great potential. Herein is presented a possible route towards a fully bottom up approach ranging from the nanoscale to the macroscale.
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| 3. |
- Melianas, Armantas, 1988-, et al.
(författare)
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Charge Transport in Pure and Mixed Phases in Organic Solar Cells
- 2017
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Ingår i: Advanced Energy Materials. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1614-6832 .- 1614-6840. ; 7:20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In organic solar cells continuous donor and acceptor networks are considered necessary for charge extraction, whereas discontinuous neat phases and molecularly mixed donor–acceptor phases are generally regarded as detrimental. However, the impact of different levels of domain continuity, purity, and donor–acceptor mixing on charge transport remains only semiquantitatively described. Here, cosublimed donor–acceptor mixtures, where the distance between the donor sites is varied in a controlled manner from homogeneously diluted donor sites to a continuous donor network are studied. Using transient measurements, spanning from sub-picoseconds to microseconds photogenerated charge motion is measured in complete photovoltaic devices, to show that even highly diluted donor sites (5.7%–10% molar) in a buckminsterfullerene matrix enable hole transport. Hopping between isolated donor sites can occur by long-range hole tunneling through several buckminsterfullerene molecules, over distances of up to ≈4 nm. Hence, these results question the relevance of “pristine” phases and whether a continuous interpenetrating donor–acceptor network is the ideal morphology for charge transport.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Zeglio, Erica, et al.
(författare)
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Conjugated Polyelectrolyte Blend as Photonic Probe of Biomembrane Organization
- 2016
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Ingår i: ChemistrySelect. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2365-6549. ; 1:14, s. 4340-4344
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the following report, a conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) blend has been introduced for the first time as a fluorescent probe of membrane organization. Insertion of the blend into the lipid double layer has been rendered possible through formation of a hydrophobic complex by counterion exchange. Changes in membrane physical state from liquid-disordered (Ldis) to liquid-ordered (Lord), and to solid-ordered (Sord) result in red shifts of blend excitation (up to Δλex=+90 nm) and emission (up to Δλnm=+37 nm) maxima attributable to backbone planarization of CPEs. We found that blend stoichiometry can be adjusted to attain the best interplay among single polyelectrolytes properties, such as sensitivity and luminescence. The resulting probes therefore allow a bimodal detection of membrane physical state: changes in absorption permit a direct visualization of membrane organization, while variations in emission spectra demonstrate that CPE-blends are a promising probes that can be used for imaging applications.
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