title: Development and characterization of a diamond-insulated graphitic multi electrode array realized with ion beam lithography.
abstract: The detection of quantal exocytic events from neurons and neuroendocrine cells is a challenging task in neuroscience. One of the most promising platforms for the development of a new generation of biosensors is diamond, due to its biocompatibility, transparency and chemical inertness. Moreover, the electrical properties of diamond can be turned from a perfect insulator into a conductive material (resistivity ~mΩ·cm) by exploiting the metastable nature of this allotropic form of carbon. A 16‑channels MEA (Multi Electrode Array) suitable for cell culture growing has been fabricated by means of ion implantation. A focused 1.2 MeV He+ beam was scanned on a IIa single-crystal diamond sample (4.5 × 4.5 × 0.5 mm3) to cause highly damaged sub-superficial structures that were defined with micrometric spatial resolution. After implantation, the sample was annealed. This process provides the conversion of the sub-superficial highly damaged regions to a graphitic phase embedded in a highly insulating diamond matrix. Thanks to a three-dimensional masking technique, the endpoints of the sub-superficial channels emerge in contact with the sample surface, therefore being available as sensing electrodes. Cyclic voltammetry and amperometry measurements of solutions with increasing concentrations of adrenaline were performed to characterize the biosensor sensitivity. The reported results demonstrate that this new type of biosensor is suitable for in vitro detection of catecholamine release.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Torino, via P. Giuria 1, Torino 10125, Italy. picollo@to.infn.it.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Picollo
authors.affiliation: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Torino, via P. Giuria 1, Torino 10125, Italy. battiato@to.infn.it.
authors.forename: Alfio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Battiato
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Science and Technology and NIS Center, University of Torino, Corso Raffaello 30, Torino 10125, Italy. emilio.carbone@unito.it.
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Science and Technology-DISAT, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Torino 10129, Italy. e.enrico@inrim.it.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Croin
authors.affiliation: Nanofacility Piemonte, National Institute of Metrologic Research (INRiM), Strada delle Cacce 91, Torino 10135, Italy. e.enrico@inrim.it.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Enrico
authors.affiliation: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Torino, via P. Giuria 1, Torino 10125, Italy. forneris@to.infn.it.
authors.forename: Jacopo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Forneris
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Science and Technology and NIS Center, University of Torino, Corso Raffaello 30, Torino 10125, Italy. sara.gosso@unito.it.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gosso
authors.affiliation: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Torino, via P. Giuria 1, Torino 10125, Italy. olivero@to.infn.it.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Olivero
authors.affiliation: Institute of Electron Devices and Circuits, Ulm University, Ulm 89069, Germany. alberto.pasquarelli@uni-ulm.de.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pasquarelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Science and Technology and NIS Center, University of Torino, Corso Raffaello 30, Torino 10125, Italy. valentina.carabelli@unito.it.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carabelli
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D018130:Diamond / Q000737:chemistry*; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D004566:Electrodes; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007477:Ions; D011327:Printing / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D007477:Ions; D018130:Diamond; D006108:Graphite