Surface-Grafted Biocompatible Polymer Conductors for Stable and Compliant Electrodes for Brain Interfaces.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 39011811.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1002/adhm.202402215 and PMC identifier 11582513.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Durable and conductive interfaces that enable chronic and high-resolution recording of neural activity are essential for understanding and treating neurodegenerative disorders. These chronic implants require long-term stability and small contact areas. Consequently, they are often coated with a blend of conductive polymers and are crosslinked to enhance durability despite the potentially deleterious effect of crosslinking on the mechanical and electrical properties. Here the grafting of the poly(3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene) scaffold, poly(styrenesulfonate)-b-poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate block copolymer brush to gold, in a controlled and tunable manner, by surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) is described. This "block-brush" provides high volumetric capacitance (120 F cm<sup>─3</sup>), strong adhesion to the metal (4 h ultrasonication), improved surface hydrophilicity, and stability against 10 000 charge-discharge voltage sweeps on a multiarray neural electrode. In addition, the block-brush film showed 33% improved stability against current pulsing. This approach can open numerous avenues for exploring specialized polymer brushes for bioelectronics research and application.
Medical subject headings
- Polymers
- Biocompatible Materials