Visible Light Activated Polymerization of Conjugated Molecules : Mechanism and Applications

Bioelectronics, a field that bridges biology and electronics, has a rich history dating back to the 18th century. The inception of bioelectronics is generally attributed to Luigi Galvani, who in the late 1700s discovered that frog legs twitch as if alive when struck by electrical current. Consequently, this was the idea leading to what is known as animal electricity, which is considered the precursor to modern bioelectronics. Furthermore, in the mid-1800s, the electrical phenomena of exposed cerebral hemispheres in rabbits and monkeys were discovered by Richard Caton leading to the advancement in the 20th century bringing us closer to what we refer as bioelectronics nowadays, with the development of medical devices to aid with cardiological or hearing disorders such as the pacemaker and cochlear implants. What is more, a big milestone in the field of bioelectronics was the invention of the transistor in the middle of the 20th century opening countless new possibilities for biocompatible devices and electronic miniaturization. Nowadays bioelectronics have been evolving into a broad and diverse field with applications ranging from medical imaging to even genetic modification. The focus is on areas like bioelectronic medicine, neural interfaces and biosensors as well as the development and testing of new biocompatible materials. The field is growing every day driven by advancements in both organic electronics and biology. As our understanding is expanding more about the properties of biological cells and tissues, the potential ideas and applications will also continue to grow. Currently, the state of the art is Neuralink with the aim of creating a brain-computer interface that could potentially restore autonomy to those with medical needs that could not be met with the current advancements in technology. A device containing a chip and several electrode arrays of more than 1,000 super thin, flexible conductors that a surgical robot carefully implants into the cerebra