Biomimetic Approaches Toward Smart Bio-hybrid Systems.

Bio-integrated materials and devices can blur the interfaces between living and artificial systems. Microfluidics, bioelectronics and engineered nanostructures, with close interactions with biology at the cellular or tissue levels, have already yielded a spectrum of new applications. Many new designs emerge, including those of organ-on-a-chip systems, biodegradable implants, electroceutical devices, minimally invasive neuro-prosthetic tools, and soft robotics.

Texturing Silicon Nanowires for Highly Localized Optical Modulation of Cellular Dynamics.

Engineered silicon-based materials can display photoelectric and photothermal responses under light illumination, which may lead to further innovations at the silicon-biology interfaces. Silicon nanowires have small radial dimensions, promising as highly localized cellular modulators, however the single crystalline form typically has limited photothermal efficacy due to the poor light absorption and fast heat dissipation. In this work, we report strategies to improve the photothermal response from silicon nanowires by introducing nanoscale textures on the surface and in the bulk.

Heterogeneous silicon mesostructures for lipid-supported bioelectric interfaces.

Silicon-based materials have widespread application as biophysical tools and biomedical devices. Here we introduce a biocompatible and degradable mesostructured form of silicon with multi-scale structural and chemical heterogeneities. The material was synthesized using mesoporous silica as a template through a chemical vapour deposition process.