Photo-Chemical Stimulation of Neurons with Organic Semiconductors

Achilleas Savva; Adel Hama; Gabriel Herrera-López; Tony Schmidt; Ludovico Migliaccio; Nadia Steiner; Malak Kawan; Hubert Fiumelli; Pierre J. Magistretti; Iain McCulloch; Derya Baran; Nicola Gasparini; Rainer Schindl; Eric Daniel Glowacki; Sahika Inal

doi:10.1002/advs.202300473

Photo-Chemical Stimulation of Neurons with Organic Semiconductors

Achilleas Savva, Adel Hama, Gabriel Herrera-López, Tony Schmidt, Ludovico Migliaccio, Nadia Steiner, Malak Kawan, Hubert Fiumelli, Pierre J. Magistretti, Iain McCulloch, Derya Baran, Nicola Gasparini, Rainer Schindl, Eric Daniel Glowacki, Sahika Inal

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent advances in light-responsive materials enabled the development of devices that can wirelessly activate tissue with light. Here it is shown that solution-processed organic heterojunctions can stimulate the activity of primary neurons at low intensities of light via photochemical reactions. The p-type semiconducting polymer PDCBT and the n-type semiconducting small molecule ITIC (a non-fullerene acceptor) are coated on glass supports, forming a p–n junction with high photosensitivity. Patch clamp measurements show that low-intensity white light is converted into a cue that triggers action potentials in primary cortical neurons. The study shows that neat organic semiconducting p–n bilayers can exchange photogenerated charges with oxygen and other chemical compounds in cell culture conditions. Through several controlled experimental conditions, photo-capacitive, photo-thermal, and direct hydrogen peroxide effects on neural function are excluded, with photochemical delivery being the possible mechanism. The profound advantages of low-intensity photo-chemical intervention with neuron electrophysiology pave the way for developing wireless light-based therapy based on emerging organic semiconductors.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	Advanced Science
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202300473
State	Published - Sep 3 2023

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2023-09-07
Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): ORA-2021-CRG10-4650, OSR-2018-CRG7-3709, CRG10- 4668
Acknowledgements: This publication is based upon work supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) under Award No. ORA-2021-CRG10-4650, CRG10- 4668, and OSR-2018-CRG7-3709. A.S. acknowledges funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant, MultiStem (No. 895801). E.D.G. acknowledges partial funding support from the European Research Council (ERC) grant agreement no. 949191. The authors thank Dr Marios Neophytou, Dr Akmaral Seitkhan, and Dr Joel Troughton for assistance in device fabrication and Sandeep Kumar Sharma for assistance with NMR analysis. The authors also thank Professor Thomas Anthopoulos, Professor Róisín M. Owens, Professor Martin Heeney and his research group in KAUST for fruitful discussions. Antonio García, the scientific illustrator at KAUST, created Figure 1.

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10.1002/advs.202300473

https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/bitstream/10754/694165/1/Advanced%20Science%20-%202023%20-%20Savva.pdf

Cite this

@article{c9a34116b44649c895cc6a4d5c776b24,

title = "Photo-Chemical Stimulation of Neurons with Organic Semiconductors",

abstract = "Recent advances in light-responsive materials enabled the development of devices that can wirelessly activate tissue with light. Here it is shown that solution-processed organic heterojunctions can stimulate the activity of primary neurons at low intensities of light via photochemical reactions. The p-type semiconducting polymer PDCBT and the n-type semiconducting small molecule ITIC (a non-fullerene acceptor) are coated on glass supports, forming a p–n junction with high photosensitivity. Patch clamp measurements show that low-intensity white light is converted into a cue that triggers action potentials in primary cortical neurons. The study shows that neat organic semiconducting p–n bilayers can exchange photogenerated charges with oxygen and other chemical compounds in cell culture conditions. Through several controlled experimental conditions, photo-capacitive, photo-thermal, and direct hydrogen peroxide effects on neural function are excluded, with photochemical delivery being the possible mechanism. The profound advantages of low-intensity photo-chemical intervention with neuron electrophysiology pave the way for developing wireless light-based therapy based on emerging organic semiconductors.",

author = "Achilleas Savva and Adel Hama and Gabriel Herrera-L{\'o}pez and Tony Schmidt and Ludovico Migliaccio and Nadia Steiner and Malak Kawan and Hubert Fiumelli and Magistretti, {Pierre J.} and Iain McCulloch and Derya Baran and Nicola Gasparini and Rainer Schindl and Glowacki, {Eric Daniel} and Sahika Inal",

note = "KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2023-09-07 Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): ORA-2021-CRG10-4650, OSR-2018-CRG7-3709, CRG10- 4668 Acknowledgements: This publication is based upon work supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) under Award No. ORA-2021-CRG10-4650, CRG10- 4668, and OSR-2018-CRG7-3709. A.S. acknowledges funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sk{\l}odowska-Curie grant, MultiStem (No. 895801). E.D.G. acknowledges partial funding support from the European Research Council (ERC) grant agreement no. 949191. The authors thank Dr Marios Neophytou, Dr Akmaral Seitkhan, and Dr Joel Troughton for assistance in device fabrication and Sandeep Kumar Sharma for assistance with NMR analysis. The authors also thank Professor Thomas Anthopoulos, Professor R{\'o}is{\'i}n M. Owens, Professor Martin Heeney and his research group in KAUST for fruitful discussions. Antonio Garc{\'i}a, the scientific illustrator at KAUST, created Figure 1.",

year = "2023",

month = sep,

day = "3",

doi = "10.1002/advs.202300473",

language = "English (US)",

journal = "Advanced Science",

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T1 - Photo-Chemical Stimulation of Neurons with Organic Semiconductors

AU - Savva, Achilleas

AU - Hama, Adel

AU - Herrera-López, Gabriel

AU - Schmidt, Tony

AU - Migliaccio, Ludovico

AU - Steiner, Nadia

AU - Kawan, Malak

AU - Fiumelli, Hubert

AU - Magistretti, Pierre J.

AU - McCulloch, Iain

AU - Baran, Derya

AU - Gasparini, Nicola

AU - Schindl, Rainer

AU - Glowacki, Eric Daniel

AU - Inal, Sahika

N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2023-09-07 Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): ORA-2021-CRG10-4650, OSR-2018-CRG7-3709, CRG10- 4668 Acknowledgements: This publication is based upon work supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) under Award No. ORA-2021-CRG10-4650, CRG10- 4668, and OSR-2018-CRG7-3709. A.S. acknowledges funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant, MultiStem (No. 895801). E.D.G. acknowledges partial funding support from the European Research Council (ERC) grant agreement no. 949191. The authors thank Dr Marios Neophytou, Dr Akmaral Seitkhan, and Dr Joel Troughton for assistance in device fabrication and Sandeep Kumar Sharma for assistance with NMR analysis. The authors also thank Professor Thomas Anthopoulos, Professor Róisín M. Owens, Professor Martin Heeney and his research group in KAUST for fruitful discussions. Antonio García, the scientific illustrator at KAUST, created Figure 1.

PY - 2023/9/3

Y1 - 2023/9/3

N2 - Recent advances in light-responsive materials enabled the development of devices that can wirelessly activate tissue with light. Here it is shown that solution-processed organic heterojunctions can stimulate the activity of primary neurons at low intensities of light via photochemical reactions. The p-type semiconducting polymer PDCBT and the n-type semiconducting small molecule ITIC (a non-fullerene acceptor) are coated on glass supports, forming a p–n junction with high photosensitivity. Patch clamp measurements show that low-intensity white light is converted into a cue that triggers action potentials in primary cortical neurons. The study shows that neat organic semiconducting p–n bilayers can exchange photogenerated charges with oxygen and other chemical compounds in cell culture conditions. Through several controlled experimental conditions, photo-capacitive, photo-thermal, and direct hydrogen peroxide effects on neural function are excluded, with photochemical delivery being the possible mechanism. The profound advantages of low-intensity photo-chemical intervention with neuron electrophysiology pave the way for developing wireless light-based therapy based on emerging organic semiconductors.

AB - Recent advances in light-responsive materials enabled the development of devices that can wirelessly activate tissue with light. Here it is shown that solution-processed organic heterojunctions can stimulate the activity of primary neurons at low intensities of light via photochemical reactions. The p-type semiconducting polymer PDCBT and the n-type semiconducting small molecule ITIC (a non-fullerene acceptor) are coated on glass supports, forming a p–n junction with high photosensitivity. Patch clamp measurements show that low-intensity white light is converted into a cue that triggers action potentials in primary cortical neurons. The study shows that neat organic semiconducting p–n bilayers can exchange photogenerated charges with oxygen and other chemical compounds in cell culture conditions. Through several controlled experimental conditions, photo-capacitive, photo-thermal, and direct hydrogen peroxide effects on neural function are excluded, with photochemical delivery being the possible mechanism. The profound advantages of low-intensity photo-chemical intervention with neuron electrophysiology pave the way for developing wireless light-based therapy based on emerging organic semiconductors.

UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/694165

UR - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202300473

U2 - 10.1002/advs.202300473

DO - 10.1002/advs.202300473

M3 - Article

C2 - 37661572

SN - 2198-3844

JO - Advanced Science

JF - Advanced Science

ER -

Photo-Chemical Stimulation of Neurons with Organic Semiconductors

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