Issue 18, 2021

Pixelated full-colour small molecule semiconductor devices towards artificial retinas

Abstract

Opto-stimulation of semiconductor-biointerfaces provides efficient pathways towards eliciting neural activity through selective spectral excitation. In visual prosthesis, tri-colour stimulation capability is the key to restoring full-colour vision. Here we report on investigation of organic photoactive π-conjugated donor–acceptor small molecules based on triphenylamine whose absorption spectra are similar to those of the photoreceptors of the human eye. Photoactive device fabrication and characterisation towards full colour, pixelated retinal prosthesis based on inkjet printing of these molecules is demonstrated, with round pixels reaching 25 microns in diameter. Photo-response is studied via interfacing with biological electrolyte solution and using long-pulse, narrow-band excitation. Both photo-voltage and photo-current responses in the devices with a ZnO hole-blocking interlayer show clear signatures of capacitive charging at the electrolyte/device interface, also demonstrating spectral selectivity comparable to that of human eye’ cones and rods.

Graphical abstract: Pixelated full-colour small molecule semiconductor devices towards artificial retinas

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
16 noy 2020
Accepted
10 mar 2021
First published
10 mar 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2021,9, 5858-5867

Pixelated full-colour small molecule semiconductor devices towards artificial retinas

M. Skhunov, A. N. Solodukhin, P. Giannakou, L. Askew, Yu. N. Luponosov, D. O. Balakirev, N. K. Kalinichenko, I. P. Marko, S. J. Sweeney and S. A. Ponomarenko, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2021, 9, 5858 DOI: 10.1039/D0TC05383J

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications, without requesting further permission from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given and it is not used for commercial purposes.

To request permission to reproduce material from this article in a commercial publication, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party commercial publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements