title: Hierarchical patterning of multifunctional conducting polymer nanoparticles as a bionic platform for topographic contact guidance.
abstract: The use of programmed electrical signals to influence biological events has been a widely accepted clinical methodology for neurostimulation. An optimal biocompatible platform for neural activation efficiently transfers electrical signals across the electrode-cell interface and also incorporates large-area neural guidance conduits. Inherently conducting polymers (ICPs) have emerged as frontrunners as soft biocompatible alternatives to traditionally used metal electrodes, which are highly invasive and elicit tissue damage over long-term implantation. However, fabrication techniques for the ICPs suffer a major bottleneck, which limits their usability and medical translation. Herein, we report that these limitations can be overcome using colloidal chemistry to fabricate multimodal conducting polymer nanoparticles. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these polymer nanoparticles can be precisely assembled into large-area linear conduits using surface chemistry. Finally, we validate that this platform can act as guidance conduits for neurostimulation, whereby the presence of electrical current induces remarkable dendritic axonal sprouting of cells.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Western Australia , Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Jianli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Xianjue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Alaa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Munshi
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Vipul
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Stuart I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Hodgetts
authors.forename: Giles W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Plant
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bakker
authors.forename: Alan R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Luzinov
authors.forename: K Swaminathan
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Iyer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001701:Bionics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D053758:Nanoparticles; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011137:Polystyrenes; D013876:Thiophenes; C533756:poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate)
keywords: capillary force lithography; conducting polymers; multimodal nanoparticles; neurostimulation