AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/ijb.3871
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Amphiphobic encapsulation for biodegradable electronics

Daeun Sung1 Yerim Lee1,2 Seunghun Han1,2 Sumin Kim1,2 Bon Jekal1,2 Minki Hong1,2 Keunhong Jeong3 Jahyun Koo1,2*
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1 Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
2 Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
3 Department of Chemistry, Korea Military Academy, Seoul, South Korea
IJB 2024, 10(5), 3871 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijb.3871
Submitted: 5 June 2024 | Accepted: 4 July 2024 | Published: 14 August 2024
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Biodegradable electronics, capable of degradation and resorption in biological environments, require an encapsulation layer for precise lifetime control to perform versatile sensing and actuation in various clinical scenarios. Recent advances in biodegradable polymer chemistry have enabled the development of photocurable encapsulation of biodegradable electronics. However, challenges, such as nonuniform irradiation and incomplete crosslinking due to the limited penetration depth of the light source, restrict their long-term implantable operation. In this study, a 50-μm layer-by-layer three-dimensional (3D) printing approach was adopted for a photocurable encapsulation layer to enhance the lifetime of biodegradable electronics through predictable and homogeneous crosslinking of the encapsulation material. The waterproof and mechanical properties of the 3D-printed polybutanedithiol 1,3,5-triallyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione pentenoic anhydride (PBTPA) polymer are analyzed and compared with at-once UV-cured PBTPAs. Our study also investigates the enhanced waterproofing properties of the binary hydrophobic polyanhydride, known for its amphiphobic structure. This structure combines both water-trapping and repulsion mechanisms, supported by a high-density network of hydrogen bonding, that create a barrier against water penetration. The 50-μm layer-by-layer 3D printing approach enables controlled irradiation, thereby improving the lifetime of biodegradable electronics and enhancing their mechanical properties. These advancements broaden the scope of biodegradable electronic applications in various fields.

 

Keywords
3D printing
Additive manufacturing
Biodegradable electronics
Amphi¬phobic
Encapsulation
Funding
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant (RS-2024-00345402), Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) (Grant No. RS-2022-KH125686, HI23C0982), and Korea University grants (K2323201, K2109981). Following are results of a study on the “Leaders in INdustry-university Cooperation 3.0” Project, supported by the Ministry of Education and National Research Foundation of Korea.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing