Biodegradable organic conductors for transient bioelectronics: materials design and degradation strategies

Biodegradable bioelectronic systems require materials that can mechanically integrate with soft tissues while minimizing long-term invasiveness. Conventional electronic materials, owing to their high stiffness, often cause mechanical mismatch with biological tissues, leading to chronic inflammation and tissue damage. To address these challenges, biodegradable conductive materials based on organic and polymeric systems have emerged as promising candidates for transient, biofriendly electronics. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in biodegradable conductive systems, including conductive polymers, conductive composite pastes, and OMIECs (organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors). The discussion covers material design strategies that simultaneously address electrical performance, mechanical compliance, and degradability in both partially and fully degradable systems. Particular attention is given to the relationships among degradation behavior, microstructure, and device stability, which play critical roles in determining functional lifetime. The scope further extends to key bioelectronic applications, including bioelectrical stimulation, drug delivery, sensing, and neuromorphic systems, demonstrating the versatility of these materials across diverse platforms. Emphasis is placed on providing an integrated perspective for the design of next-generation transient bioelectronic systems based on biodegradable organic conductors.