Oral Presentation Royal Australian Chemical Institute National Congress 2026

Flexible Organic Bioelectronic Platforms: Design and Implementation (136527)

Damia Mawad 1
  1. UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Flexible bioelectronics capable of treating diseases via electrical stimulation represent a rapidly growing area of research. Device effectiveness depends on materials that reversibly exchange charge with biological tissue, switching between ionic and electronic charge carriers. Conjugated polymers are promising candidates due to their redox-active nature, mechanical flexibility, and mixed ionic electronic charge transport. Their electrochemical activity stems from their ability to transition between oxidized and reduced states, a process that requires doping to achieve electrical functionality. This can be accomplished through external dopants or by incorporating dopant functionality directly into the polymer structure, a strategy known as self-doping [1].

To realize these bioelectronic platforms, we investigate conjugated polymers with varying structural designs and doping mechanisms. Through efficient synthesis, we demonstrate distinctive features including aqueous processability, intrinsic electrochemical doping, and chemical modification [2,3]. We validate performance at the biointerface, showing exceptional electrochemical stability during extended redox cycling and biological compatibility. Beyond bioelectronic interfacing, we explore applications in organic circuits and neuromorphic devices [4]. These findings highlight the potential of conjugated polymers as versatile platforms for applications ranging from therapeutic biointerfaces to adaptive electronics.

  1. K. Fidanovski, M. Gu, L. Travaglini, A. Lauto, and D. Mawad, “Self-doping and self-acid-doping of conjugated polymer bioelectronics: the case for accuracy in nomenclature”, Adv. Health. Mater., 13, 2302354 (2024).
  2. K. Fidanovski, M. Gu, J. Wu, A. Lauto, D. Ta, D. Miskovic, P. Wagner, K. Wagner, Z. Deng, D. Officer, and D. Mawad, “A Self-acid-doped and self-cross-linked PEDOT derivative using a simple and effective thiosulfate addition”, ACS Materials. Lett., 7, 1837 (2025).
  3. M. Gu, L. Travaglini, D. Ta, J. Hopkins, A. Lauto, P. Wagner, K. Wagner, D. Officer, and D. Mawad, “A PEDOT based graft copolymer with enhanced electronic stability”, Mater. Horiz., 11, 4809 (2024).
  4. L. Travaglini, K. Fidanovski, D. Mawad, “Logic Circuits Featuring Organic Electrochemical Transistors: What is the Logic Behind OECTs in Logic?”, Sci. Adv., 12, e14448 (2025).