Boosting hydrogel conductivity via water-dispersible conducting polymers for injectable bioelectronics

Hossein Montazerian, Elham Davoodi, Canran Wang, Farnaz Lorestani, Jiahong Li, Reihaneh Haghniaz, Rohan R. Sampath, Neda Mohaghegh, Safoora Khosravi, Fatemeh Zehtabi, Yichao Zhao, Negar Hosseinzadeh, Tianhan Liu, Tzung K. Hsiai, Alireza Hassani Najafabadi (), Robert Langer, Daniel G. Anderson, Paul S. Weiss (), Ali Khademhosseini () and Wei Gao ()
Additional contact information
Hossein Montazerian: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Elham Davoodi: University of Utah
Canran Wang: California Institute of Technology
Farnaz Lorestani: University Park
Jiahong Li: California Institute of Technology
Reihaneh Haghniaz: Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
Rohan R. Sampath: Los Angeles
Neda Mohaghegh: Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
Safoora Khosravi: Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
Fatemeh Zehtabi: Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
Yichao Zhao: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Negar Hosseinzadeh: Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
Tianhan Liu: Los Angeles
Tzung K. Hsiai: Los Angeles
Alireza Hassani Najafabadi: Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
Robert Langer: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Daniel G. Anderson: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Paul S. Weiss: Los Angeles
Ali Khademhosseini: Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
Wei Gao: California Institute of Technology

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract Bioelectronic devices hold transformative potential for healthcare diagnostics and therapeutics. Yet, traditional electronic implants often require invasive surgeries and are mechanically incompatible with biological tissues. Injectable hydrogel bioelectronics offer a minimally invasive alternative that interfaces with soft tissue seamlessly. A major challenge is the low conductivity of bioelectronic systems, stemming from poor dispersibility of conductive additives in hydrogel mixtures. We address this issue by engineering doping conditions with hydrophilic biomacromolecules, enhancing the dispersibility of conductive polymers in aqueous systems. This approach achieves a 5-fold increase in dispersibility and a 20-fold boost in conductivity compared to conventional methods. The resulting conductive polymers are molecularly and in vivo degradable, making them suitable for transient bioelectronics applications. These additives are compatible with various hydrogel systems, such as alginate, forming ionically cross-linkable conductive inks for 3D-printed wearable electronics toward high-performance physiological monitoring. Furthermore, integrating conductive fillers with gelatin-based bioadhesive hydrogels substantially enhances conductivity for injectable sealants, achieving 250% greater sensitivity in pH sensing for chronic wound monitoring. Our findings indicate that hydrophilic dopants effectively tailor conducting polymers for hydrogel fillers, enhancing their biodegradability and expanding applications in transient implantable biomonitoring.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59045-1

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