Conducting polymers charge-injection capability

At the simplest level, communication with amino acids, proteins, enzymes, antibodies, DNA, and whole cells is clearly important [158]. It is well known that biological systems can be influenced by the application of electric fields. The ICP provides us with the capability of charge injection or removal at biological interfaces due to its electronic conductivity. More interestingly, though is the redox capability of these polymers, whereby they can function as simple on-o f switches, facilitate controlled release of molecular species of interest, or direct mechanical interaction with the biological interface in the form of actuation. 

Since the photoconductive properties of poly(A-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) were revealed, carbazole-based polymeric materials have been extensively studied [264-266]. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in the study of photo-conductive polymer composites. Photoactive dopants capable of charge injection into the polymer matrix are normally employed. Of these photoactive dopants, C60 and CNTs as well as inorganic SCs have been shown to be among the most efficient to date [267]. 

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