Designing Sensitivity: A Comparative Analysis of Microelectrode Topologies for Electrochemical Oxygen Sensing in Biomedical Applications

Electrically Controlled Click-Chemistry for Assembly of Bioactive Hydrogels on Diverse Micro- and Flexible Electrodes

The seamless integration of electronics with living matter requires advanced materials with programmable biological and engineering properties. Here we explore electrochemical methods to assemble semi-synthetic hydrogels directly on electronically conductive surfaces. We polymerize hydrogels consisting of poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) and heparin building blocks by spatially controlling the click reaction between their thiol and maleimide moieties. The gels are grown as conformal coatings or 2D patterns on ITO, gold, and PtIr. We demonstrate that such coatings significantly influence the electrochemical properties of the metal-electrolyte interface, likely due to space charge effects in the gels. We further highlight a promising route towards engineering and electrically addressable extracellular matrices by printing arrays of gels with binary cell adhesiveness on flexible conductive surfaces. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.