Self‐Powered Multifunctional Transient Bioelectronics

TLDR

Emerging transient electronics can degrade controllably and are biocompatible, yet most still require external power, limiting their real‑world use. The study aims to create silk‑based, biodegradable, multifunctional implantable systems that are self‑powered by transient triboelectric nanogenerators for real‑time monitoring and therapy of epileptic seizures. These devices tune lifetime and biomechanical sensitivity through silk molecular size, surface structuring, and configuration, while enabling drug delivery and optical readout for infection control and degradation indication. A proof‑of‑principle wireless system with mobile‑device readout and symptom‑triggered smart treatment demonstrated the practical potential of these silk T₂ ENGs as self‑powered, transient, multifunctional implantable bioelectronics.

Abstract

Abstract Controllable degradation and excellent biocompatibility during/after a lifetime endow emerging transient electronics with special superiority in implantable biomedical applications. Currently, most of these devices need external power sources, limiting their real‐world utilizations. Optimizing existing bioresorbable electronic devices requires natural‐material‐based construction and, more importantly, diverse or even all‐in‐one multifunctionalization. Herein, silk‐based implantable, biodegradable, and multifunctional systems, self‐powered with transient triboelectric nanogenerators (T 2 ENGs), for real‐time in vivo monitoring and therapeutic treatments of epileptic seizures, are reported. These T 2 ENGs are of customizable in vitro/in vivo operating life and biomechanical sensitivity via the adjustments of silk molecular size, surface structuralization, and device configuration. Functions, such as drug delivery and structural‐integrity optical readout (parallel to electronic signals), are enabled for localized anti‐infection and noninvasive degradation indication, respectively. A proof‐of‐principle wireless system is built with mobile‐device readout and “smart” treatment triggered by specific symptoms (i.e., epilepsy), exhibiting the practical potential of these silk T 2 ENGs as self‐powered, transient, and multifunctional implantable bioelectronic platforms.