Optoelectronic control of single cells using organic photocapacitors

TLDR

Optical control of single‑cell electrophysiology offers powerful tools for biomedical research and technology. The study reports organic electrolytic photocapacitors (OEPCs) as extracellular capacitive electrodes for stimulating cells. OEPCs comprise transparent conductor layers coated with a donor‑acceptor bilayer of organic photoconductors that generate a 330 mV open‑circuit voltage in physiological solution when illuminated with 630–660 nm light. Electrophysiological recordings on Xenopus laevis oocytes revealed rapid photoinduced voltage transients (20–110 mV) and potassium‑channel opening, demonstrating that OEPCs depolarize cell membranes and providing a simple, stable, efficient non‑genetic optical stimulation method.

Abstract

Optical control of the electrophysiology of single cells can be a powerful tool for biomedical research and technology. Here, we report organic electrolytic photocapacitors (OEPCs), devices that function as extracellular capacitive electrodes for stimulating cells. OEPCs consist of transparent conductor layers covered with a donor-acceptor bilayer of organic photoconductors. This device produces an open-circuit voltage in a physiological solution of 330 mV upon illumination using light in a tissue transparency window of 630 to 660 nm. We have performed electrophysiological recordings on Xenopus laevis oocytes, finding rapid (time constants, 50 μs to 5 ms) photoinduced transient changes in the range of 20 to 110 mV. We measure photoinduced opening of potassium channels, conclusively proving that the OEPC effectively depolarizes the cell membrane. Our results demonstrate that the OEPC can be a versatile nongenetic technique for optical manipulation of electrophysiology and currently represents one of the simplest and most stable and efficient optical stimulation solutions.