Jeon Sungha, Seo Hyeonyeob, Kim Yeji, Choi Youngin, Lee Youngbin, Jung Youngmin, Lee Somin, Lee Jung Tae, Park Seongjun
Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Nat Commun. 2025 Sep 2;16(1):8207. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-63649-y.
Recent advancements in implantable bioelectronic devices have increased the demand for biocompatible energy sources with long-term electrochemical and mechanical stability. Here, we present a tough hydrogel-based supercapacitor (THBS) fiber, fabricated via a thermal drawing process (TDP), that enables the integration of all components-electrodes, electrolyte, current collectors, and encapsulation-into a single, unified, and mechanically robust fiber-shaped architecture. Through thermal/mechanical optimization and the incorporation of self-healing properties, THBS fibers exhibit durable, high electrochemical performance under dynamic, high-curvature deformations mimicking in vivo physiological motions. Despite a thickness of only a few hundred microns, they maintain mechanical and electrochemical stability. Long-term functionality was confirmed over five weeks with minimal immune response. In vivo implantation demonstrated successful LED operation in a freely moving mouse, and successful optogenetic stimulation of both central and peripheral nervous systems. These results underscore the promise of THBS fibers as next-generation, fully biocompatible energy storage devices for advanced implantable bioelectronic systems.
可植入生物电子设备的最新进展增加了对具有长期电化学和机械稳定性的生物相容性能源的需求。在此，我们展示了一种通过热拉伸工艺（TDP）制造的基于坚韧水凝胶的超级电容器（THBS）纤维，它能够将所有组件——电极、电解质、集流体和封装——集成到一个单一、统一且机械坚固的纤维状结构中。通过热/机械优化和引入自愈特性，THBS纤维在模拟体内生理运动的动态、高曲率变形下表现出持久的高电化学性能。尽管厚度仅为几百微米，但它们仍保持机械和电化学稳定性。在五周内证实了其长期功能，且免疫反应极小。体内植入证明在自由活动的小鼠中成功实现了LED操作，并成功地对中枢和外周神经系统进行了光遗传学刺激。这些结果强调了THBS纤维作为用于先进可植入生物电子系统的下一代完全生物相容性储能设备的前景。
