An application of field-effect sensors for in-situ monitoring of degradation of biopolymers

The characterization of the degradation kinetics of biodegradable polymers is mandatory with regard to their proper application. In the present work, polymer-modified electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (PMEIS) field-effect sensors have been applied for in-situ monitoring of the pH-dependent degradation kinetics of the commercially available biopolymer poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PDLLA) in buffer solutions from pH 3 to pH 13. PDLLA films of 500 nm thickness were deposited on the surface of an Al-p-Si-SiO2-Ta2O5 structure from a polymer solution by means of spin-coating method. The PMEIS sensor is, in principle, capable to detect any changes in bulk, surface and interface properties of the polymer induced by degradation processes. A faster degradation has been observed for PDLLA films exposed to alkaline solutions (pH 9, pH 11 and pH 13). (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.