Polymeric material

1. A polymeric material comprising an electrodeposited conductive polymer substantially homogeneously distributed within a hydrogel, wherein the hydrogel comprises a cross-linkable biopolymer that exhibits bioactivity, in which the biopolymer is covalently cross-linked with a synthetic polymer, the biopolymer further having covalently bound anionic species which provide doping for the electrodeposited conductive polymer.

2. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the covalently bound anionic species are in the backbone of the biopolymer.

3. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the biopolymer is a polymer produced by a living organism and modified to include the covalently bound anionic species.

4. The polymeric material of claim 3 , wherein the covalently bound anionic species is an anionic side chain grafted onto the biopolymer.

5. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the biopolymer is selected from heparin, hyaluronan, chondroitin sulphate, keratin sulphate, alginate, chitosan, fibrin, oligonucleotides, DNA, RNA, silk like polymer with fibronectin fragments (SLPF), glycoproteins including collagen, laminin, fibronectin, vitronectin and fibrinogen and their peptides, poly(amino acids), silk proteins or combinations thereof.

6. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel comprises at least one polymer constituent that is a synthetic polymer.

7. The polymeric material of claim 6 , wherein the synthetic polymer is selected from polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, poly(acrylic acid) and its derivatives; poly(ethylene oxide) and its copolymers, polyphosphazene, silicones, polyacrylamides, polyvinylpyrrolidones, poly-hydroxy ethylmethacrylate, poly(styrene sulfonate) or combinations thereof.

8. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel comprises functionalized heparin covalently cross-linked with polyvinyl alcohol.

9. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the conductive polymer is selected from polypyrrole and its derivatives, polythiophene and its derivatives, phenyl mercaptan and its derivatives, polyaniline and its derivatives, polyindole and its derivatives, polycarbazole and its derivatives, or copolymers or combinations thereof.

10. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the conductive polymer is selected from poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiopene), poly(hydroxymethyl-3,4-ethylenedioxythiopene), poly(3-alklythiophene), polypyrrole, polyaniline (emeraldine base) or combinations thereof.

11. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material further comprises a biologically active substance distributed within the hydrogel.

12. The polymeric material of claim 11 , wherein the biologically active substance is selected from neurotrophins, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, siRNA or combinations thereof.

13. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the conductive polymer and the hydrogel are present in the polymeric material in a ratio of from about 0.2:1 to about 1:0.2.

14. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel constitutes from about 10% to about 30% by weight of the polymeric material.

15. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material has a Young's modulus of from about 1 kPa to about 10 MPa.