Overcoming Limitations of Iontronic Delivery Devices

Abstract: Organic electronic devices are considered as one of the best candidates to replace conventional inorganic electronic devices due to their electronic conductive functionality, low-cost production techniques, the ability to tune their optical and electronic properties using organic chemistry, and their mechanical flexibility. Moreover, these systems are ideal for bioelectronic applications due to their softness, biocompatibility, and most importantly, their electronic and ionic transport. Indeed, these materials are compatible with biological tissues and cells improving the signal transduction between electronic devices and electrically excitable cells. As ions serve as one of the primary signal carriers of cells, they can selectively tune a cell’s activity; therefore, an improved interface between electronics and biological systems can offer several advantages in healthcare, e.g. the development of efficient drug delivery devices.  The main focus of this thesis is the development of electronic delivery devices. Electrophoretic delivery devices called organic electronic ion pumps (OEIPs) are used to electronically control the delivery of small ions, neurotransmitters, and drugs with high spatiotemporal resolution. This work elucidates the ion transport processes and phenomena that happen in the ion exchange membranes during ion delivery and clarifies which parameters are crucial for the ion transport efficiency of the OEIPs. This thesis shows a systematic investigation of these parameters and indicates new methods and OEIP designs to overcome these challenges. Two novel OEIP designs are developed and introduced in this thesis to improve the local ion transport while limiting side effects. OEIPs based on palladium proton trap contacts can improve the membrane permselectivity and optimize the delivery of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitters at low pH while preventing any undesired pH changes from proton transport in the biological systems. And OEIPs based on glass capillary fibers are developed to overcome the limitations of devices on planar substrates, related to more complex and larger biologically relevant ion delivery with low mobility for implantable applications. This design can optimize the transport of ions and drugs such as salicylic acid (SA) at low concentrations and at relatively much higher rates, thereby addressing a wider range of biomedically relevant applications and needs.