title: A cone-shaped 3D carbon nanotube probe for neural recording.
abstract: A novel cone-shaped 3D carbon nanotube (CNT) probe is proposed as an electrode for applications in neural recording. The electrode consists of CNTs synthesized on the cone-shaped Si (cs-Si) tip by catalytic thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD). This probe exhibits a larger CNT surface area with the same footprint area and higher spatial resolution of neural recording compared to planar-type CNT electrodes. An approach to improve CNT characteristics by O(2) plasma treatment to modify the CNT surface will be also presented. Electrochemical characterization of O(2) plasma-treated 3D CNT (OT-CNT) probes revealed low impedance per unit area (∼64.5 Ω mm(-2)) at 1 kHz and high specific capacitance per unit area (∼2.5 mF cm(-2)). Furthermore, the OT-CNT probes were employed to record the neural signals of a crayfish nerve cord. Our findings suggest that OT-CNT probes have potential advantages as high spatial resolution and superb electrochemical properties which are suitable for neural recording applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Huan-Chieh
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Chia-Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shiang-Jie
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Yung-Chan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chang-Hsiao
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shih-Rung
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Weileun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Hsin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Da-Jeng
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Yen-Chung
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Tri-Rung
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Yew
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D003400:Astacoidea; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008839:Microelectrodes; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010316:Particle Size
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon