Semiconductor nanorod-carbon nanotube biomimetic films for wire-free photostimulation of blind retinas.

Bareket, Lilach; Waiskopf, Nir; Rand, David; Lubin, Gur; David-Pur, Moshe; Ben-Dov, Jacob; Roy, Soumyendu; Eleftheriou, Cyril et al. · Nano Lett · 2014

basic_science · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

We report the development of a semiconductor nanorod-carbon nanotube based platform for wire-free, light induced retina stimulation. A plasma polymerized acrylic acid midlayer was used to achieve covalent conjugation of semiconductor nanorods directly onto neuro-adhesive, three-dimensional carbon nanotube surfaces. Photocurrent, photovoltage, and fluorescence lifetime measurements validate efficient charge transfer between the nanorods and the carbon nanotube films. Successful stimulation of a light-insensitive chick retina suggests the potential use of this novel platform in future artificial retina applications.

Medical subject headings