Microdevices for Cell Stimulation: Integrated Zinc Oxide Piezoelectric Nanostructures in Silicon Microparticles

Bioelectronic medicine is acquiring importance within the field of regenerative medicine. Several types of cells migrate, differentiate or proliferate in response to electrical stimuli, promoting tissue regeneration. Piezoelectric nanogenerators (NGs) are capable of electrically stimulate cells in a wireless way through acoustic power; broadening the scope of materials used for biomedical applications.In this work, microdevices consisting of piezoelectric zinc oxide nanosheets (ZnO NSs) integrated on silicon microparticles were synthesized. Finite element modelling (FEM) simulations demonstrate that these microdevices are able to produce electric fields (EF) in response to mechanical stresses or ultrasonic waves. In vitro testing with osteoblast Saos-2 cells proved their cytocompatibility. Soon, the use of these simple, costless and technologically reproducible microdevices may offer new ways to develop bioelectronic therapies.