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Exploration of carbon nanotube composites and piezoelectric materials for implantable devices

Edusei, Janelle; (2021) Exploration of carbon nanotube composites and piezoelectric materials for implantable devices. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London). Green open access

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Abstract

This thesis describes an exploration of carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposites for application in implantable medical devices. The focus here is on materials and structures of interest as components of devices incorporating electrodes. Electrodes for implantable devices are commonly required to interface between an electrical system, where the charge carriers are electrons presented through a metal, and human tissue, where the charge carriers are ions as well as electrons not in a metal. These interfaces are found to be prone to issues such as fibrosis and rejection. The properties of carbon nanomaterials, piezoelectric peptides/polymers and their composites suggest them as promising candidate materials that could resolve these issues. The superior conductivity, mechanical properties and chemical stability of carbon nanotubes have been explored in recent years for potential application in biomedical sensors and devices. This work has explored piezoelectric materials, carbon nanotubes, polymers and nanocomposites of these as potential components of implantable devices. Diphenylalanine is a chiral, amphiphilic dipeptide molecule which has the ability to self-assemble into piezoelectric microtubules. The self-assembly process of diphenylalanine microtubules has been explored and its properties have been compared to the properties of poly[vinylidenefluoride-co-trifluoroethylene] (P[VDF-TrFE]) electrospun nanofibres. Later parts of this work considered the deposition of electrodes by printing. The development of CNT-polymer nanocomposites as printable inks for the fabrication of electrodes was explored. The structure and properties of the piezoelectric nano/ micro-materials, CNT-peptide complex and conductive CNT-polymer printable inks were characterised by a range of microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The viability of neural cells on the developed functional materials and electrodes were tested by metabolic activity measurements and immunochemical staining microscopy. A CNT-polymer ink demonstrated good conductivity and dimensional stability when printed by 3D printer. Good biocompatibility of all the functional materials developed have been demonstrated in vitro, showing promise for further development of soft electrodes and applications in nanostructure piezoelectric sensors and implantable devices.

Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Qualification: Ph.D
Title: Exploration of carbon nanotube composites and piezoelectric materials for implantable devices
Event: UCL
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © The Author 2021. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Surgery and Interventional Sci
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10134710
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