Degradable on-demand conjugated polymer systems for transient bioelectronics

Objective

The rapid growth of bioelectronics creates an urgent need for sustainable and degradable materials that can safely disappear after use, avoiding long-term persistence in the body or the environment. Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), with low-voltage operation, high ionic sensitivity, and good biocompatibility, are among the most powerful device platforms in bioelectronics. While degradation has been shown in selected p-type OECTs, progress on n-type counterparts is very limited. This gap is critical, as n-type OECTs are indispensable for detecting biologically relevant anions and enabling complementary circuits. To date, no reliable strategies exist to achieve controlled degradation of bioelectronics under physiologically relevant conditions—an essential requirement for biomedical and environmental applications. Conjugated polymers are the most important part of OECTs, combining electronic functionality with tunable chemical structures. Yet designing systems that deliver both high charge transport and predictable degradation remains highly challenging, since the structural features stabilizing electronic states often resist breakdown, whereas degradable motifs tend to compromise stability and conductivity. The DOPTE project addresses this challenge by creating degradable n-type conjugated polymers that unite electronic performance with controlled degradation. The central strategy is to integrate cleavable motifs into high-performance conjugated backbones, enabling degradation under physiological conditions or through near-infrared activation. The project will establish design guidelines for degradable bioelectronics, with the potential to reduce surgical retrieval in biomedical devices and support sustainable materials for next-generation bioelectronics. It will provide me with key interdisciplinary training to strengthen my development as an independent researcher.