Polysaccharides are abundant natural resources that possess unique structural and functional properties.  While these properties have been employed in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, we believe their unique properties can be enlisted for a broader range of technical applications.  We focus on the stimuli-responsive film-forming properties of polysaccharides.  Recent work with chitosan and alginate show that these polysaccharides are capable of �recognizing� locally applied electrical signals and responding by electrodepositing as thin hydrogel films.  Electrodeposition requires no reagents and is simple, rapid and reversible.  Further, the electrodeposition mechanism and the resulting hydrogel network appear to be �biocompatible� in that the structure and function of labile biological components (e.g., proteins and microbial cells) can be preserved.  Electrodeposition with chitosan and alginate provides the opportunity to interface biological components with electronic devices.

Stimuli-responsive polysaccharides: Potential for emerging markets at the biology-electronics interface

241st National Meeting (2011)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.