Melanin a ‘bio-friendly’ semiconductor (Science Alert)
The study points to a new way of interfacing conventional electronics to
biological systems using a combination of ion-and-electron conducting
biomaterials.
Image: amphotora/iStockphoto
Melanin – the pigment that colours skin, eyes and hair – could soon be the
face of a new generation of biologically friendly electronic devices used in
applications such as medical sensors and tissue stimulation treatments.
Led by Professor Paul Meredith and Associate Professor Ben Powell at The
University of Queensland, an international team of scientists has published a
study that for the first time gives remarkable insight into the electrical
properties of this pigment and its biologically compatible “bioelectronic”
features.
“Semiconductors are arguably the most important modern day high-tech material
– they drive all modern electronics,” said Professor Meredith.
“The majority of semiconductors are made from inorganic elements or compounds
such as silicon or gallium arsenide.”
Organic semiconductors, on the other hand, are a relatively new member of the
semiconductor family and are composed of molecules containing carbon, hydrogen
and other elements.
“There are very few examples of natural organic semiconductors and melanin was
thought to be the very first example, demonstrated to be such in the early
70s,” said Professor Meredith.
Co-author Associate Professor Powell said that …
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