Ana Isabel De La Fuente Duran

All Publications

• The Importance of Organic Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductor (OMIEC)-Water Interactions: A Perspective. Journal of the American Chemical Society Siemons, N., De La Fuente Durán, A., Shad, A. C., Iyer, M., Chen, F. Y., Marks, A., Chueh, W., Salleo, A. 2025

  Abstract

  Organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors (OMIECs) are an emerging class of materials with the potential to enable next-generation bioelectronic and energy technologies. Beyond their impressive capacitance, transconductance, and rate capabilities, OMIECs offer flexibility, easy processability, and the advantages of being composed of earth-abundant elements. Despite rapid progress in their development, a critical question persists: how do OMIECs interact with water, and how do their interactions with water impact their function? In this perspective, we explore the critical and complex role of water in determining OMIEC structure, charge transport properties, and electrochemical performance. We discuss how water's presence influences swelling, ion solvation, dielectric properties, and redox behavior, often in ways that depart from traditional redox-active polymer design rules. We provide an overview of emerging experimental and computational tools for deconvoluting these interactions. Finally, we argue for a shift toward well-defined model systems with controlled chemistries to probe hydration effects systematically. Bridging these foundational knowledge gaps will enable continued rapid progress in developing OMIECs for real-world applications.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/jacs.5c09041

  View details for PubMedID 41150965

• Evaluation of the Biocompatibility of Poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline)(BBL) Polymer Films with Living Cells. Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Latte Bovio, C., Campione, P., Wu, H. Y., Li, Q., De La Fuente Durán, A., Salleo, A., Fabiano, S., Messina, G. M., Santoro, F. 2024: e2404451

  Abstract

  The integration of organic electronic materials with biological systems to monitor, interface with, and regulate physiological processes is a key area in the field of bioelectronics. Central to this advancement is the development of cell-chip coupling, where materials engineering plays a critical role in enhancing biointerfacing capabilities. Conductive polymers have proven particularly useful in cell interfacing applications due to their favorable biophysical and chemical properties. However, n-type conductive polymers remain underexplored, primarily due to their limited long-term stability. In this study, it is demonstrated that the conductive polymer poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline) (BBL), commonly used in organic electronic devices, can effectively support neuronal cell viability and spreading, both as a bare cell culture material and when coated with exracellular matrix proteins. This work provides a preliminary validation of BBL's potential for future integration into bioelectronic devices and in biointerfacing.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/smll.202404451

  View details for PubMedID 39711257

• Origins of hydrogen peroxide selectivity during oxygen reduction on organic mixed ionic-electronic conducting polymers ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Duran, A., Liang, A., Denti, I., Yu, H., Pearce, D., Marks, A., Penn, E., Treiber, J., Weaver, K., Turaski, L., Maria, I. P., Griggs, S., Chen, X., Salleo, A., Chueh, W. C., Nelson, J., Giovannitti, A., Mefford, J. 2023

  View details for DOI 10.1039/d3ee02102e

  View details for Web of Science ID 001119466200001