Fabrication of bioactive polypyrrole microelectrodes on insulating surfaces by surface-guided biocatalytical polymerization

Abstract

Although promising, organic microelectronics lack standard fabrication methods comparable to photolithography in terms of resolution. Here we propose a novel and easily scalable on-surface biocatalytical procedure for the fabrication of polypyrrole microelectrodes on insulating surfaces. Arrays of polypyrrole microelectrodes were obtained by surface-guided biocatalytical polymerization, achieving up to 5 μm in resolution and conductivities up to 3 S cm−1. The mild reaction conditions provided by the biocatalytical approach permit the entrapment of bioactive compounds during polymer synthesis. This system is convenient for drug release purposes, as demonstrated by the controlled release of entrapped biotin through electrical stimulation. These results pave the way for the application of polypyrrole microelectrodes produced through biocatalysis in the development of implantable devices for remotely controlled tissue interactions.