Dr. Ilaria Bargigia,
Georgia Institute of Technology
George P. Williams, Jr. Lecture Hall, (Olin 101)
Thursday, January 17, 2019, at 2:00 PM
There will be a reception with refreshments at 1:30 PM in the lounge. All interested persons are cordially invited to attend.
ABSTRACT
Conjugated polymers are widely used as bio-electronic interfaces thanks to their inherent softness, biocompatibility, electronic properties, and unparalleled versatility. In particular, thin films of poly(3-exylthiophene) have demonstrated the capability to restore light sensitivity in animal models and are now being proposed as artificial retinal implants. However, there is no clear understanding of the mechanism behind light-induced activation of cellular activity mediated by the photophysical characteristics of the conjugated polymers. In particular, there is a need to address how structural properties control the various functionalities and the role played by the interface between the polymer and biological media. In this talk, I will present our recent efforts made towards the understanding of how photo-physical properties transform in the presence of relevant biological media and what these transformations entail in the context of in-vivo biological applications.