A Hydrogel Implantable Supercapacitor with Tissue-Adhesive Using PEDOT:PSS as Active Material.

Abstract

Implantable biomedical supercapacitors represent a critical advancement in modern biomedical engineering, offering an optimal power solution for implantable medical devices due to their exceptional characteristics. However, achieving supercapacitors that concurrently exhibit tissue adhesiveness and biocompatibility remains a significant research challenge. In this study, the DMSO post-treatment method is employed to enhance the condensed state structure of the conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS, which results in a significant improvement in the electrochemical performance of the supercapacitor embedded within the poly(acrylic acid) hydrogel matrix. This supercapacitor demonstrates a capacity retention rate of 97.81% after 10 000 charging-discharging cycles. Additionally, it exhibits favorable mechanical properties (tensile strain of 233%) and strong tissue adhesiveness (viscous frictional stress of 6.42 kPa). Following implantation in mice, this device also exhibits excellent biocompatibility. These findings suggest that this technology can significantly advance the energy supply for microintelligent medical devices.