A cone-shaped 3D carbon nanotube probe for neural recording.
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.
Su
Huan-Chieh
HC
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
Lin
Chia-Min
CM
Yen
Shiang-Jie
SJ
Chen
Yung-Chan
YC
Chen
Chang-Hsiao
CH
Yeh
Shih-Rung
SR
Fang
Weileun
W
Chen
Hsin
H
Yao
Da-Jeng
DJ
Chang
Yen-Chung
YC
Yew
Tri-Rung
TR
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
D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon