| 11. |
- Carson, Dean, et al.
(author)
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Umeå University's proposed "Rural Stream" : An effective alternative to the longitudinal integrated clerkship model for small rural communities?
- 2020
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In: Education for Health. - : Wolters Kluwer. - 1357-6283 .- 1469-5804. ; 33:1, s. 3-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Umeå University Faculty of Medicine (UUFM), Sweden, has a regionalized medical program in which students spend the final 2½ years of their undergraduate degree in district hospitals. In late 2018, UUFM started a "rural stream" pilot exposing students to smaller rural locations.Methods: The objectives are to deliver the benefits for medical education and rural workforce development that have been observed in longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs) while maintaining consistency between learning experiences in the main campus, regional campuses, and rural locations. This article compares the UUFM rural stream with those typical of the LICs described in the medical education literature. Comparisons are made in terms of the four key criteria for LIC success, and additional characteristics including peer and interprofessional learning, "'continuity," and curriculum development.Results: The rural stream has elements of length, immersion, position in the degree program, and community engagement that are both similar to, and different from, LICs. Key challenges are to ensure that participating students create close relationships with host medical facilities and communities. The rural stream also has some potential advantages, particularly in relation to team learning.Discussion: Alternatives to the LIC rural stream model as typically described in the literature may be required to allow for immersive medical education to occur in smaller rural communities and to be suitable for medical schools with more traditional approaches to education.
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| 12. |
- Cherian, Dennis, 1989-
(author)
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Expanding the versatility and functionality of iontronic devices
- 2021
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Biological systems rarely use electrons as signal regulators, most of the transport and communication in these system utilize ions. The discovery of conjugated polymers and polyelectrolytes and their unique properties of mixed ionic electronic properties opened the possibility of using these in the domain of bioelectronics, which paved the way for the field of organic bioelectronics. After the introduction of the organic electronic ion pump (OEIP) in 2007, which utilizes both the ionic properties of conjugated polymers and polyelectrolytes, the new field of “iontronics” evolved. TheOEIP is an organic polymer-based delivery system based on electrophoretic transport of biologically relevant and ionically charged species, without fluid flow and with high spatial, temporal, and dosage precision. These devices have been extensivelystudied for the past 14 years and have found numerous demonstrations in in vivo and in vitro delivery of bio-relevant ions for therapeutic application. This has, in parallel, resulted in the development of custom materials for ion exchange membranes (IEMs) within the OEIP.This thesis focuses on IEMs and device development of OEIPs. Specific focus is given to process development through device design and fabrication through conventional and unconventional technologies. Conventional technologies include microfabrication through photolithography, etching, and thin-film evaporation. Unconventional fabrication techniques include screen printing, inkjet printing, stencil, and laser patterning. In this thesis, we have also scouted a new area of research to utilize the ion-selective properties of polyelectrolytes. Here we discuss a new ion detection technique using IEMs and ion transport based on diffusion coefficients and impedance measurement at a specific frequency using impedance spectroscopy for faster ion detection with low voltage (1–40 V) and liquid-flow-free transport. Further exploring the area of IEMs, we have realized that less attention has been given to stretchable IEMs, even though such materials could find enormous applications in the field of organic bioelectronics and can be used in association with many stretchable electronics applications like stretchable displays and energy storage devices. Current IEMs lack the conformability and stretchability to be used for implantable applications, e.g., including lungs, heart, muscle, soft or brain implants, joints, etc. Keeping this in mind we also discuss our approach for the development of a stretchable IEM. Finally, we focus on developing a hybrid fabrication protocol of flexible OEIPs with micropatterning techniques and inkjet-printed membranes. These OEIPs were fabricated and the functionality was validated by the cell response after the delivery of a nerve-blocking agent to cells in vitro. To date, OEIPs have been fabricated by micropatterning and labor-intensive manual techniques, impeding the budding application areas of this propitious technology. To address this issue, a novel approach to the fabrication of the OEIPs using screen-printing technology is also explored in this thesis. In summary, we were able to successfully explore the field of ion-exchange membranesand put forward a new technique for ion detection and stretchable IEMs for future applications. Fabrication of OEIPs was also examined which resulted in the development of a hybrid fabrication protocol with inkjet printing for OEIPs and a robust fully screen printed OEIPs with high manufacturing yield (>90%) for industrial-scale manufacturing.
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| 13. |
- Cherian, Dennis, 1989-, et al.
(author)
-
Flexible Organic Electronic Ion Pump Fabricated Using Inkjet Printing and Microfabrication for Precision In Vitro Delivery of Bupivacaine
- 2023
-
In: Advanced Healthcare Materials. - : John Wiley and Sons Inc. - 2192-2640 .- 2192-2659. ; 12:24, s. 2300550-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The organic electronic ion pump (OEIP) is an on-demand electrophoretic drug delivery device, that via electronic to ionic signal conversion enables drug delivery without additional pressure or volume changes. The fundamental component of OEIPs is their polyelectrolyte membranes which are shaped into ionic channels that conduct and deliver ionic drugs, with high spatiotemporal resolution. The patterning of these membranes is essential in OEIP devices and is typically achieved using laborious microprocessing techniques. Here, the development of an inkjet printable formulation of polyelectrolyte is reported, based on a custom anionically functionalized hyperbranched polyglycerol (i-AHPG). This polyelectrolyte ink greatly simplifies the fabrication process and is used in the production of free-standing OEIPs on flexible polyimide (PI) substrates. Both i-AHPG and the OEIP devices are characterized, exhibiting favorable iontronic characteristics of charge selectivity and the ability to transport aromatic compounds. Further, the applicability of these technologies is demonstrated by the transport and delivery of the pharmaceutical compound bupivacaine to dorsal root ganglion cells with high spatial precision and effective nerve blocking, highlighting the applicability of these technologies for biomedical scenarios. © 2023 The Authors. Advanced Healthcare Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.
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| 14. |
- Datta-Chaudhuri, Timir, et al.
(author)
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The Fourth Bioelectronic Medicine Summit "Technology Targeting Molecular Mechanisms" : current progress, challenges, and charting the future
- 2021
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In: Bioelectronic medicine. - : BioMed Central. - 2332-8886. ; 7:1
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- There is a broad and growing interest in Bioelectronic Medicine, a dynamic field that continues to generate new approaches in disease treatment. The fourth bioelectronic medicine summit "Technology targeting molecular mechanisms" took place on September 23 and 24, 2020. This virtual meeting was hosted by the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health. The summit called international attention to Bioelectronic Medicine as a platform for new developments in science, technology, and healthcare. The meeting was an arena for exchanging new ideas and seeding potential collaborations involving teams in academia and industry. The summit provided a forum for leaders in the field to discuss current progress, challenges, and future developments in Bioelectronic Medicine. The main topics discussed at the summit are outlined here.
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| 15. |
- Diacci, Chiara, 1992-
(author)
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Organic Bioelectronic Devices for Selective Biomarker Sensing : Towards Integration with Living Systems
- 2021
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Inorganic materials have been the main players of the semiconductor industry for the past forty years. However, there has been a continuous interest and growth in the research and in the application of organic semiconductors (OSCs) as active materials in electronic devices, due to the possibility to process these materials at low temperature on flexible substrates, fabricate them on large-area, and upscale their fabrication using cost-effective strategies such as printing. Because of these features, organic electronic devices are rapidly emerging as biosensors for biomarkers, with a high potential for becoming a high-throughput tool even deployable at the point-of-care. One of the most used and studied platforms is the organic electrochemical transistor (OECT). OECTs have been largely used as biosensors in order to transduce and amplify electrical signals or detect biological analytes upon proper functionalization with specific biorecognition units. OECTs can operate at low voltages, are easy to fabricate on different substrates, and are compatible with the aqueous environment, and can therefore be interfaced with living systems, ranging from mammals to plants. The OECT device configuration includes a gate electrode that modulates the current in the channel through an electrolyte, which can be not only a buffered solution but even a complex biological fluid. When OECTs are operated as biosensors, the sensing mechanism relies on the current variation generated from specific reactions with the analyte of interest. These devices are paving the way to the development of point-of-care technologies and portable biosensors with fast and label-free detection. Moreover, OECTs can help to reveal new biological insight and allow a better understanding of physiological processes. During my PhD, I focused on design, fabrication, and validation of different OECT-based biosensors for the detection of biomarkers that are relevant for healthcare applications, thus showing their high potential as a proper sensing platform. We developed sensors towards different analytes, ranging from small molecules to proteins, with ad hoc designed materials strategies to endow the device with selectivity towards the species of interest. Most notably, I also demonstrated the possibility of integrating OECTs in plants, as an example of interfacing these biosensors with living systems. In the first two papers, we developed screen printed OECTs, presenting PEDOT:PSS as the semiconducting material on the channel. In the first case, the device also featured a PEDOT:PSS gate electrode which was further functionalized with biocompatible gelatin and the enzyme urease to ensure selectivity toward the analyte of interest, namely urea. The biosensor was able to monitor increasing urea concentrations with a limit of detection of 1 µM. In the second paper the screen-printed carbon gate electrode was first modified with platinum and then we ensured selectivity towards the analyte uric acid, a relevant biomarker for wound infection, by entrapping urate oxidase in a dual-ionic-layer hydrogel membrane to filter out charged interfering agents. The biosensor exhibited a 4.5 µM limit of detection and selectivity even in artificial wound exudate. In the third paper we designed an interleukin-6 (IL6) OECT based biosensor able to detect the cytokine down to the pM regime in PBS buffer. The mechanism of detection relied on the specific binding between an aptamer, used as sensing unit on the gate electrode, and the IL6 in solution, allowing for detection ranging from physiological to pathological levels. In the last two papers we developed OECT based biosensors to be interfaced with the plant world. In the fourth paper we presented a glucose sensor, based on the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) to detect glucose export from chloroplasts. In particular, we demonstrated real-time glucose monitoring with temporal resolution of 1 minute in complex media. In the fifth paper, we developed implantable OECT-based sugar sensors for in vivo real-time monitoring of sugar transport in poplar trees. The biosensors presented a multienzyme-functionalized gate endowing the device with specificity towards glucose and sucrose. Most notably, the OECT sensors did not cause a significant wound response in the plant, allowing us to demonstrate that OECT-based sensors are attractive tools for studying transport kinetics in plants, in vivo and real-time.
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| 16. |
- Galliani, Marina, et al.
(author)
-
Flexible Printed Organic Electrochemical Transistors for the Detection of Uric Acid in Artificial Wound Exudate
- 2020
-
In: Advanced Materials Interfaces. - : Wiley-VCH Verlag. - 2196-7350. ; 7:23
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Low-cost, minimally invasive sensors able to provide real-time monitoring of wound infection can enable the optimization of healthcare resources in chronic wounds management. Here, a novel printed organic electrochemical transistors (OECT) biosensor for monitoring uric acid (UA), a bacterial infection biomarker in wounds, is demonstrated in artificial wound exudate. The sensor exploits the enzymatic conversion of UA to 5-hydroxyisourate, catalyzed by Uricase entrapped in a dual-ionic-layer hydrogel membrane casted onto the gate. The sensor response is based on the catalytic oxidation of the hydrogen peroxide, generated as part of the Uricase regeneration process, at the Pt modified gate. The proposed dual membrane avoids the occurrence of nonspecific faradic reactions as, for example, the direct oxidation of UA or other electroactive molecules that would introduce a potentially false negative response. The biosensor is robust and its response is reproducible both in phosphate buffer saline and in complex solutions mimicking the wound exudate. The sensor has a high sensitivity in the range encompassing the pathological levels of UA in wounds (<200 μm) exhibiting a limit of detection of 4.5 μm in artificial wound exudate. All these characteristics make this OECT-based biosensor attractive for wound monitoring interfaced to the patient.
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| 17. |
- Gerasimov, Jennifer Yevgenia, 1985-, et al.
(author)
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Rational Materials Design for In Operando Electropolymerization of Evolvable Organic Electrochemical Transistors
- 2022
-
In: Advanced Functional Materials. - : John Wiley and Sons Inc. - 1616-301X .- 1616-3028. ; 32
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Organic electrochemical transistors formed by in operando electropolymerization of the semiconducting channel are increasingly becoming recognized as a simple and effective implementation of synapses in neuromorphic hardware. However, very few studies have reported the requirements that must be met to ensure that the polymer spreads along the substrate to form a functional conducting channel. The nature of the interface between the substrate and various monomer precursors of conducting polymers through molecular dynamics simulations is investigated, showing that monomer adsorption to the substrate produces an increase in the effective monomer concentration at the surface. By evaluating combinatorial couples of monomers baring various sidechains with differently functionalized substrates, it is shown that the interactions between the substrate and the monomer precursor control the lateral growth of a polymer film along an inert substrate. This effect has implications for fabricating synaptic systems on inexpensive, flexible substrates. © 2022 The Authors.
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| 18. |
- Ghorbani Shiraz, Hamid, 1989-, et al.
(author)
-
3R-TaS2 as an Intercalation-Dependent Electrified Interface for Hydrogen Reduction and Oxidation Reactions
- 2022
-
In: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 126:40, s. 17056-17065
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hydrogen technology, as a future breakthrough for the energy industry, has been defined as an environmentally friendly, renewable, and high-power energy carrier. The green production of hydrogen, which mainly relies on electrocatalysts, is limited by the high cost and/ or the performance of the catalytic system. Recently, studies have been conducted in search of bifunctional electrocatalysts accelerating both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR). Herein, we report the investigation of the high efficiency bifunctional electrocatalyst TaS2 for both the HER and the HOR along with the asymmetric effect of inhibition by organic intercalation. The linear organic agent, to boost the electron donor property and to ease the process of intercalation, provides a higher interlayer gap in the tandem structure of utilized nanosheets. XRD and XPS data reveal an increase in the interlayer distance of 22%. The HER and the HOR were characterized in a Pt group metal-free electrochemical system. The pristine sample shows a low overpotential of -0.016 Vat the onset. The intercalated sample demonstrates a large shift in its performance for the HER. It is revealed that the intercalation is a potential key strategy for tuning the performance of this family of catalysts. The inhibition of the HER by intercalation is considered as the increase in the operational window of a water-based electrolyte on a negative electrode, which is relevant to technologies of electrochemical energy storage.
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| 19. |
- Ghorbani Shiraz, Hamid, 1989-
(author)
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Electrochemical reduction of protons and organic molecules in hydrogen technologies : Liquid Organic Hydrogen carrier and Hydrogen Evolution
- 2022
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In accordance with preventable actions to mitigate the effect of climate change in the modern societal applications, renewable energy is an unavoidable and decisive factor in the energy industry. The energy sources that offer non-depleted and environment-friendly pathways for the energy sector are in focus. Amongst, hydrogen has been defined as one of the best candidates to meet the criteria such as high energy-content and zero-emission of CO2, and of course, renewability. In this work, we focused on the areas of hydrogen generation and hydrogen storage.In the first part, we employed an inorganic electrocatalyst (nanosheets) to drive the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), where we proved that the overpotential of few millivolts (0.016 V) is enough to run the HER reaction. We studied the effect of interlayer gap (for the nanosheets) on the catalytic performance. The chemical intercalation showed a huge effect for the suppression of the HER, which could be applicable for the devices like batteries the formation of any gaseous species has detrimental effect on the performance. It should not be left unmentioned that the measurements were carried out in a platinum group metal free (PGM-free) system, where graphite felt were used as a counter electrode, to avoid any platinum contamination. Next, we investigated the effect of oxygen poisoning on both pristine electrocatalyst and intercalated one. The XPS and UPS measurements confirmed the formation of oxygen-containing groups on the electrocatalysts. Electrochemical measurements showed the increase of the overpotential toward HER as the electrocatalysts are exposed to air for longer time. However, study of the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) showed that there is an optimum concentration of oxygenic functional groups that can lead to a high current density of HOR process. The study of exchange current density showed that, after 10 days of exposure of electrocatalyst to atmospheric air, pristine sample possesses the best performance toward HER and intercalated one shows the highest performance for the HOR. In the other section, hydrogen storage for the organic redox-active molecule (dissolved in organic solvent) was studied. One of the main problems in hydrogen economy concept, is the storage of the hydrogen for transportation. The new concept of Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) offers a low-cost and safe approach to this challenge. Herein, we demonstrated an electrochemical pathway to hydrogenate the organic system via conversion of proton of a proton donor into a covalent-bonded hydrogen, through a proton coupled electron transfer (PCET) reaction of 2nH+ + 2ne¯ + Rox nH2Rred. Here, we studied the 9-fluorenone/fluorenol (Fnone/Fnol) as a model PCET reaction. The electrochemical activation of starting component of (Fnone), through two successive electron transfers was investigated with in-situ and operando spectroscopies purely, and in presence of different proton donors of different reactivity. We succeed to both quantify and qualify the investigated the reaction. The hydrogen release step was demonstrated chemically with the aid of catalyst. To conclude, we employed a PGM-free system to demonstrate and characterize a high performing electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution. Surprisingly, HOR was revealed to perform well using the oxygen poisoned electrocatalyst for HER. In the other section of this work, an electrochemical assisted synthesis of LOHC, in the lab-scale, was proved. A PCET pathway was conceptualized with mechanistic insight. Our work opens new avenue for the technology of hydrogenation of LOHC as we showed for the first time that this could be realized by electrochemistry without the need of hydrogen gas as a prerequisite. We believe that in the future both works could contribute slightly to the concept of the hydrogen economy.
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| 20. |
- Gryszel, Maciej, et al.
(author)
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Vertical Organic Electrochemical Transistor Platforms for Efficient Electropolymerization of Thiophene Based Oligomers
- 2024
-
In: Journal of Materials Chemistry C. - : ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY. - 2050-7526 .- 2050-7534.
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) have emerged as promising candidates for various fields, including bioelectronics, neuromorphic computing, biosensors, and wearable electronics. OECTs operate in aqueous solutions, exhibit high amplification properties, and offer ion-to-electron signal transduction. The OECT channel consists of a conducting polymer, with PEDOT:PSS receiving the most attention to date. While PEDOT:PSS is highly conductive, and benefits from optimized protocols using secondary dopants and detergents, new p-type and n-type polymers are emerging with desirable material properties. Among these, low-oxidation potential oligomers are highly enabling for bioelectronics applications, however the polymers resulting from their polymerization lag far behind in conductivity compared with the established PEDOT:PSS. In this work we show that by careful design of the OECT geometrical characteristics, we can overcome this limitation and achieve devices that are on-par with transistors employing PEDOT:PSS. We demonstrate that the vertical architecture allows for facile electropolymerization of a family of trimers that are polymerized in very low oxidation potentials, without the need for harsh chemicals or secondary dopants. Vertical and planar OECTs are compared using various characterization methods. We show that vOECTs are superior platforms in general and propose that the vertical architecture can be expanded for the realization of OECTs for various applications.
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