Neural Stimulation with a Carbon Nanotube Microelectrode Array

• Published in: Nano letters Vol. 6; no. 9; pp. 2043 - 2048
• Main Authors: Wang, Ke, Fishman, Harvey A, Dai, Hongjie, Harris, James S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.09.2006
• Subjects: Action Potentials - physiology; Animals; Biocompatible Materials - chemistry; Cells, Cultured; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electric Stimulation - instrumentation; Electric Stimulation - methods; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Exact sciences and technology; Hippocampus - physiology; Materials science; Materials Testing; Microelectrodes; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanotubes; Nanotubes, Carbon - chemistry; Neurons - physiology; Physics; Rats; Surface Properties; Interfaces; Cyclic voltammetry; Microelectrodes; Functionalization; Multiwalled nanotube; Charge injection; Carbon nanotubes; Experimental study; Arrays; Nanostructured materials
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl061241t

We present a novel prototype neural interface using vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube (CNT) pillars as microelectrodes. Functionalized hydrophilic CNT microelectrodes offer a high charge injection limit (1−1.6 mC/cm2) without faradic reactions. The first repeated in vitro stimulation of hippocampal neurons with CNT electrodes is demonstrated. These results suggest that CNTs are capable of providing far safer and more efficacious solutions for neural prostheses than previous metal electrode approaches.