Examination of the effects of dimethyl sulfoxide on PEDOT: PSS-based materials used in thermoelectric power systems developed for intracorporeal active implanted devices

Şeyma Özkan; Mert Şener; Gökhan Gürlek; Şeyma Taşdemir; Dilara Sabırtaş; Oğuz Gürses; Yoldas Seki

doi:10.38042/biotechstudies.1849443

Examination of the effects of dimethyl sulfoxide on PEDOT: PSS-based materials used in thermoelectric power systems developed for intracorporeal active implanted devices

Abstract

With the increasing use of active implantable medical devices (IMDs), studies to meet their energy needs have focused on wireless energy transfer and thermoelectric generators. Materials, which are one of the most critical research topics in thermoelectric power systems, are expected to have low thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity. Recently, organic polymers, especially poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly styrene sulfonate, have been preferred due to concerns over the toxicity of inorganic materials. However, using solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide to prepare high-concentration solutions of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly styrene sulfonate (PEDOT: PSS) may raise biocompatibility issues. This study investigates the effects on electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and biocompatibility after mixing different dimethyl sulfoxide solutions with PEDOT: PSS. As a result of these analyses, the highest electrical conductivity, 156.15 S/cm, was achieved with a 15/85 (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide-water solution. The highest Seebeck coefficient was obtained at 26.27 µV/K for the film prepared with a 10/90 (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide-water solution. Biocompatibility tests were performed according to ISO 10993-5 and ISO 10993-12 standards with the L929 cell line. It revealed that higher dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) ratios lead to increased toxicity in PEDOT: PSS samples. Furthermore, the group with the highest biocompatibility, which shows over 70% cell viability even at a 1:1 (v/v) extract ratio, was found as the group with a 1:1 extract ratio that contains 1% PEDOT: PSS. These findings provide insights into optimizing PEDOT: PSS formulations for enhanced electrical performance while maintaining biocompatibility, contributing to the development of safer and more efficient thermoelectric power sources for implantable medical devices.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This study was funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK) ARDEB 1001 Grant No 121M532. “The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.”

Project Number

Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK) ARDEB 1001 Grant No 121M532

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Nanomedicine, Chemical Engineering (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Şeyma Özkan This is me
0000-0002-0255-3763
Türkiye

Mert Şener
0000-0002-9343-948X
Türkiye

Gökhan Gürlek ^*
0000-0001-5324-1818
Türkiye

Şeyma Taşdemir
0009-0008-4688-9315
Türkiye

Dilara Sabırtaş This is me
0009-0007-7913-4093
Türkiye

Oğuz Gürses
0000-0002-2755-3452
Türkiye

Yoldas Seki
0000-0002-2225-1236
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

December 25, 2025

Publication Date

March 5, 2026

Submission Date

August 10, 2024

Acceptance Date

November 4, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 35

DOI

https://doi.org/10.38042/biotechstudies.1849443

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA88AT39RR

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Özkan, Ş., Şener, M., Gürlek, G., Taşdemir, Ş., Sabırtaş, D., Gürses, O., & Seki, Y. (2026). Examination of the effects of dimethyl sulfoxide on PEDOT: PSS-based materials used in thermoelectric power systems developed for intracorporeal active implanted devices. Biotech Studies, 35, 1849443. https://doi.org/10.38042/biotechstudies.1849443

AMA

1.Özkan Ş, Şener M, Gürlek G, et al. Examination of the effects of dimethyl sulfoxide on PEDOT: PSS-based materials used in thermoelectric power systems developed for intracorporeal active implanted devices. Biotech Studies. 2026;(35):1849443. doi:10.38042/biotechstudies.1849443

Chicago

Özkan, Şeyma, Mert Şener, Gökhan Gürlek, et al. 2026. “Examination of the Effects of Dimethyl Sulfoxide on PEDOT: PSS-Based Materials Used in Thermoelectric Power Systems Developed for Intracorporeal Active Implanted Devices”. Biotech Studies, nos. 35: 1849443. https://doi.org/10.38042/biotechstudies.1849443.

EndNote

Özkan Ş, Şener M, Gürlek G, Taşdemir Ş, Sabırtaş D, Gürses O, Seki Y (March 1, 2026) Examination of the effects of dimethyl sulfoxide on PEDOT: PSS-based materials used in thermoelectric power systems developed for intracorporeal active implanted devices. Biotech Studies 35 1849443.

IEEE

[1]Ş. Özkan et al., “Examination of the effects of dimethyl sulfoxide on PEDOT: PSS-based materials used in thermoelectric power systems developed for intracorporeal active implanted devices”, Biotech Studies, no. 35, p. 1849443, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.38042/biotechstudies.1849443.

ISNAD

Özkan, Şeyma - Şener, Mert - Gürlek, Gökhan - Taşdemir, Şeyma - Sabırtaş, Dilara - Gürses, Oğuz - Seki, Yoldas. “Examination of the Effects of Dimethyl Sulfoxide on PEDOT: PSS-Based Materials Used in Thermoelectric Power Systems Developed for Intracorporeal Active Implanted Devices”. Biotech Studies. 35 (March 1, 2026): 1849443. https://doi.org/10.38042/biotechstudies.1849443.

JAMA

1.Özkan Ş, Şener M, Gürlek G, Taşdemir Ş, Sabırtaş D, Gürses O, Seki Y. Examination of the effects of dimethyl sulfoxide on PEDOT: PSS-based materials used in thermoelectric power systems developed for intracorporeal active implanted devices. Biotech Studies. 2026;:1849443.

MLA

Özkan, Şeyma, et al. “Examination of the Effects of Dimethyl Sulfoxide on PEDOT: PSS-Based Materials Used in Thermoelectric Power Systems Developed for Intracorporeal Active Implanted Devices”. Biotech Studies, no. 35, Mar. 2026, p. 1849443, doi:10.38042/biotechstudies.1849443.

Vancouver

1.Şeyma Özkan, Mert Şener, Gökhan Gürlek, Şeyma Taşdemir, Dilara Sabırtaş, Oğuz Gürses, Yoldas Seki. Examination of the effects of dimethyl sulfoxide on PEDOT: PSS-based materials used in thermoelectric power systems developed for intracorporeal active implanted devices. Biotech Studies. 2026 Mar. 1;(35):1849443. doi:10.38042/biotechstudies.1849443