High-performance microelectrode of PEDOT/Pt-black for low voltage neurostimulaiton

Abstract

Here we report a material for low-voltage and micro-scale electrode stimulation, that combines high charge injecting and low impedance characteristics of poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) with a large effective surface area by using a platform of platinum black (Pt-black). The layer-by-layer assembled PEDOT/Pt-black electrode with the diameter of 30 μm exhibits the charge-injection delivery capacity (QCDC) is 684 mC/cm2, which is 1.6 times value of the same-sized Pt-black electrode. In vivo animal experiments confirm that the 8-μm-diameter PEDOT/Pt-black electrode enables the electrical stimulation of mouse's nerves with the voltage of 400 mV, which value is lower than conventional electrodes. The proposed small diameter and high QCDC electrode potentially offers powerful applications, including low voltage stimulation and stimulations of individual neurons in which the cell body has a diameter of ~10 μm.