Cellulose-based Conductive Materials for Bioelectronics

Abstract

The growing demand for electronic devices has led to excessive stress on Earth's resources, necessitating effective waste management and the search for renewable materials with minimal environmental impact. Bioelectronics, designed to interface with the human body, have traditionally been made from inorganic materials, such as metals, which, while having suitable electrical conductivity, differ significantly in chemical and mechanical properties from biological tissues. This can cause issues such as unreliable signal collection and inflammatory responses. Recently, natural biopolymers such as cellulose, chitosan, and silk have been explored for flexible devices, given their chemical uniqueness, shape flexibility, ease of processing, mechanical strength, and biodegradability. Cellulose is the most abundant natural biopolymer, has been widely used across industries, and can be transformed into electronically conductive carbon materials. This review focuses on the advancements in cellulose-based conductive materials for bioelectronics, detailing their chemical properties, methods to enhance conductivity, and forms used in bioelectronic applications. It highlights the compatibility of cellulose with biological tissues, emphasizing its potential in developing wearable sensors, supercapacitors, and other healthcare-related devices. The review also addresses current challenges in this field and suggests future research directions to overcome these obstacles and fully realize the potential of cellulose-based bioelectronics.

Keywords: Bioelectronics; Cellulose; Conductive materials; Energy storage; Sensors.