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Bioelectronic ion pumps deliver ions and biomolecules from a source to a target biological system with high spatiotemporal control for bioengineering and regenerative medicine applications. A voltage between a working electrode and a reference/counter electrode delivers the charged ions and biomolecules from a source to the desired target. The source and the target are separated by an ion exchange membrane so that only the charged molecules of interest are delivered. Future wearable and implantable applications require high efficiency of delivery to minimize power consumption. The majority of recent efforts on improving ion pump efficiency have focused on optimizing the ion exchange membrane. However, the contribution of the working electrode material to the ion pump efficiency has been mostly overlooked. This work identifies how changing the working electrode material greatly affects the efficiency of delivery in ion pumps. With an electrical circuit model analysis, voltammetry studies on silver, platinum, and palladium hydride working electrodes, and implementation of the Butler–Volmer equation, results show that the material‐dependent equilibrium potential at the working electrode surface has a large impact on ion pump efficiency. With this knowledge, a simple predictive model to optimize the working electrode material for delivering each specific ion or molecule of interest is designed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The top working electrode (WE) interfaces with the source solution, while the bottom reference/counter electrode (RE/CE) interfaces with the target solution. Bioelectronics, electrode materials, ion delivery, ion pumps, ions and biomolecules Keywords: bioelectronics; electrode materials; ion delivery; ion pumps; ions and biomolecules EN bioelectronics electrode materials ion delivery ion pumps ions and biomolecules 1 1 1 07/14/23 20230710 NES 230710 B Bioelectronic Ion Pumps b An example of an ion pump for delivering therapeutic ions and biomolecules is demonstrated in article 2201996, by Marco Rolandi and co-workers. [Extracted from the article]