N-type perylene-based organic semiconductors for functional neural interfacing

Stefano Toffanin; Valentina Benfenati; Assunta Pistone; Simone Bonetti; Wouter Koopman; Tamara Posati; Anna Sagnella; Marco Natali; Roberto Zamboni; Giampiero Ruani; Michele Muccini

doi:10.1039/C3TB20555J

N-type perylene-based organic semiconductors for functional neural interfacing†

Stefano Toffanin,‡*^a Valentina Benfenati,‡*^b Assunta Pistone,^b Simone Bonetti,^a Wouter Koopman,^a Tamara Posati,^c Anna Sagnella,^b Marco Natali,^a Roberto Zamboni,^b Giampiero Ruani^a and Michele Muccini*^ad

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^a Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISMN-CNR), Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
E-mail: s.toffanin@bo.ismn.cnr.it

^b Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e Fotoreattività, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISOF-CNR), Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
E-mail: valentina.benfenati@isof.cnr.it

^c Laboratorio di Micro e Submicro Tecnologie abilitanti dell'Emilia-Romagna (MIST E-R), Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy

^d ETC srl, Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
E-mail: m.muccini@bo.ismn.cnr.it

Abstract

The bioelectrical signalling within neural networks has to be monitored in real-time and localized in space in order to unravel the mechanisms behind pathologies and diseases of the nervous systems. Organic materials have significant potential for bio-functional neural interfacing given that their “soft” nature offers better mechanical compatibility with the nerve tissues than conventional semiconductors, and their flexibility allows realization of the non-planar forms typically required for biomedical implants. The integration of living cells into organic semiconductors is an important step towards the development of bio-organic electronic transducers of cellular activity from neurons. Here, we report on the use and characterization of n-type perylene derivatives as a suitable interface platform for organic neuro-electronic devices. We demonstrate that primary neurons can adhere, grow and differentiate on a suitably engineered perylene-based field-effect transistor platform, while maintaining their firing properties even after a prolonged time of cell-culturing. It is noteworthy that the field-effect transistors preserve their electrical characteristics even after 10 days of incubation in cell culture media. These results validate n-type perylene derivatives as a suitable long-term interface platform for organic neuro-electronic devices, which is particularly relevant in view of the recently reported perylene-based field-effect transistor structure capable of providing bidirectional stimulation and recording of primary neurons.

This article is part of the themed collection: Carbon Bioelectronics

Journal of Materials Chemistry B

N-type perylene-based organic semiconductors for functional neural interfacing†

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N-type perylene-based organic semiconductors for functional neural interfacing

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