The development of the new polymer, which has tremendous potential for next-generation biosensors, was not without its challenges. Credit: KAUST; Xavier PitaA new organic semiconducting material (carbon-based), has been created that is superior to existing materials for the construction of next-generation biosensors. This polymer was developed by an international research team, led by KAUST.Many research efforts are currently being made to develop biosensors that directly interact with the body and detect key biochemicals. These biosensors can be used as indicators of disease and health.Rawad Hallani, a former researcher scientist on the KAUST team and co-developer of the polymer with researchers from several universities in the U.S., says that a sensor must be compatible with the body.Hallani explained that the polymer was designed to be used in organic electrochemical transistors. These types of devices require that the polymer allows specific ions and biochemical substances to penetrate the polymer and dope the material, which can then modulate its electrochemical semiconducting characteristics. He says that the fluctuation in electrochemical properties is what the OECT actually measures as an output signal.Because even small changes to the structure of the polymer can have a major impact on its performance, the team had to face many chemical challenges. Although many other research groups attempted to create this polymer, the KAUST team was the first to succeed.Their invention is based upon polymers called polythiophenes that have chemical groups called glycols attached to them in controlled positions. The breakthrough was made possible by the ability to control the location of glycol groups in a way that was not possible before.Hallani says that the hardest part is finding the right polymer design that meets all your criteria. "Sometimes, what optimizes the material's performance can also negatively impact its stability. We need to consider both the energetic and electronic properties of the polymer."To achieve the perfect design, sophisticated computational chemistry modeling was used. To monitor the structure of the polymers, the team used specialized Xray scattering analysis as well as scanning tunneling electron microscopescopy. These techniques showed how the locations of glycol groups affected the material’s microstructure as well as its electronic properties.We are thrilled by Rawad's progress in polymer synthesis and look forward to testing our new material with specific biosensor devices. Iain McCulloch, a member of the KAUST team and also an attaché to the University of Oxford in England, says:Learn more Salt solution makes better organic electrochemical transistorsRawad K. Hallani and colleagues, Regiochemistry driven organic electrochemical transistor performance enhancement in Ethylene glycol-functionalized polythiophenes. Journal of the American Chemical Society (2021). Journal Information: Journal of the American Chemical Society Rawad K. Hallani and colleagues, Regiochemistry-Driven Organic Electrochemical Transistor Performance Improvement in Ethylene Gelcol-Functionalized Polythiophenes (2021). DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c03516
