Synthetic materials that can mimic some of the dynamic behavior of biological systemsNanomaterials whose electrical connections reconfigure in response to biochemical signals, based on amino acids as chemical triggers, have been developed in new research that could lead to a range of long-term therapeutic applications by interfacing biology with electronics. A team led by scientists at the Advanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center, CUNY has produced self-assembling electronic nanomaterials that exhibit an ability to remodel their electrical connections by changing chemical inputs.
The team was exploring ways of introducing an important characteristic of living matter into synthetic materials, namely the ability to dynamically grow and degrade structures in response to chemical signals. Although being able to self-assemble, reconfigure and disassemble in response to such signals is common in biological materials, it is not in man-made ones. To integrate synthetic materials into biology, material’s properties should match with living matter to help provide a seamless interface.
“We demonstrate materials that can grow, change shape and degrade upon exposure to different chemical signals”Rein Ulijn
As biological cells can reconfigure and alter how they communicate with each other, they can direct critical functions within the body. However, it is challenging to develop nanomaterials that can replicate some of these cellular functions and integrate with living systems. As reported in Nature Chemistry [Kumar et al. Nat. Chem. (2018) DOI: 10.1038/s41557-018-0047-2], this research shows how to create synthetic materials with the ability to mimic some of the dynamic behavior of biological systems.
To produce the nanomaterials, the researchers began with the base molecule naphthalenediimide, an organic semiconductor that was modified by exposing it to biochemical signals in the form of simple amino acids. An enzyme was then used to incorporate the amino acids onto the core molecule, which triggered self-assembly and disassembly pathways, in a process that leads to the formation and degradation of nanomaterials with the ability to conduct electrical signals.
Just by using different amino acids, they can direct the development of nanomaterials with various properties. As team leader Rein Ulijn told Materials Today, “We demonstrate materials that can grow, change shape and degrade upon exposure to different chemical signals”. They could also link these structural changes to modulation in functionality, like time-dependent electrical conductance.
The work could offer applications in terms of integrating biological systems with electrical devices, although it will be key for these new nanomaterials to use the same chemical language as biological systems. The team will now look to interface their nanomaterials with actual neurons to see how the man-made and biological materials interact, and also to improve the chemical design to enhance conductance.