2D and layered materials for bio-integrated devices: insights into their multiscale interaction with biological moieties

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) and layered materials have successfully advanced the energy and electronics sectors, providing high translational capacity. However, when it comes to biomedical applications, their full potential is yet to be fully explored. This limitation can be attributed to the lack of fundamental understanding of the interactions that govern the behavior of these materials in the biological environment. Such understanding would not only open access to novel forms of biological-2D material hybrids but could also provide insights into nano-scale machinery by which biological domains function. This review highlights the current progress in developing 2D and layered material-based biointerfaces and their respective interactions with biological systems across different length and complexity levels. We first review the various interface modification, functionalization, and processing methods employed to enhance such biointerfacing for high-performing biomimetic devices (including electronic and optical devices). We then discuss the different types of interactions across the interface and finally the biotransducer-junction mechanisms taking place, at the device-performance level.