Work

Rethinking Bioelectronic Photovoltaic Devices: Linking Materials, Interfacial Mechanisms, and Biological Responses

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Light-responsive photovoltaic biointerfaces convert optical energy into signals capable of modulating cellular activity. However, how these interfacial signals are generated, transmitted, and interpreted by living tissue remains a matter of ongoing debate. This Perspective argues that photovoltaic devices for wireless cellular modulation should not be treated as a simple electrode but as a dynamic interfacial electrochemical system in which light absorption, charge separation, ionic transport, capacitive charging, Faradaic reactions, photothermal effects, and cellular adaptation are inseparably coupled. We examine how material architecture—from conjugated polymers and bilayer heterojunctions to bulk heterojunctions and nanoparticles—governs both signal generation and biological outcome. We further highlight the need to replace isolated photovoltaic figures of merit with functional bioelectronic metrics that integrate the cellular response. Ultimately, understanding how distinct interfacial pathways translate photogenerated signals into biological responses will be essential for the rational design, evaluation, and clinical translation of next-generation photovoltaic biointerfaces.

Source: ACS Materials Letters

DOI: 10.1021/acsmaterialslett.6c00591

Authors: Theresa Rienmüller, Mathias Polz

Institutions: Graz University of Technology, BioTechMed-Graz, Medical University of Graz

Language: English

Topic: Neuroscience and Neural Engineering

Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,500