Characterization, optimization and evaluation of biocompatibility of melanin based thin films and devices.

Abstract

Thin films are the basis of different electronic devices such as sensors, solar cells, field effect transistors, among others. The production of thin films based on organic materials has become an area of great interest in the last two decades, due advantages of these materials, such as low cost, easily purification and processing, deposition of a wide variety of substrates, including flexible ones. Melanin-based films are inserted into this new line of materials due to their optical and electronic properties that make it very attractive for use in organic bioelectronic devices. The exploration of technological potential of melanin films should be studied in parallel with the optimization of production and especially with its biocompatibility, seeking the application of devices such as biomedical materials.One possible application of organic electronic devices is to produce photovoltaic cells to be applied in electronic implants in retinal degenerative diseases to replace lost photoreceptors. Conjugated polymers as melanin are semiconductors attractive for this kind of application because they are great light absorbers and can be deposited on flexible substrates at low cost. The aims of this project are the production, characterization and optimization of thin films based on traditional synthetic melanin dissolved in ammonia (NH4OH-melanin) and melanin synthesized in organic solvents (DMSO / DMF-melanin), deposited on different substrates. We intend to evaluate the biocompatibility of these films through cytotoxicity and genotoxicity tests in cells cultures, as well as producing and characterizing an electronic device based on melanin photovoltaic cells.