Biofuel cell based on microscale nanostructured electrodes with inductive coupling to rat brain neurons.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Neuroscience
• Materials Science

Background:

• Implantable biodevices require miniaturized, self-powered systems.
• Existing neural interfaces face limitations in invasiveness and power supply.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize a novel glucose/oxygen enzymatic fuel cell (EFC) for neural applications.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of using EFCs for powering implantable biodevices and interfacing with neurons.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of 3D nanostructured gold microelectrodes via electrochemical transformation of gold nanoparticles.
• Modification of electrodes with biocatalysts for direct electron transfer.
• In vitro and in vivo testing of EFCs in cerebrospinal fluid and rat brain models.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated mediator-, cofactor-, and membrane-less EFCs.
• Achieved power densities of 7 μW cm⁻² (in vitro) and 2 μW cm⁻² (in vivo) at 0.4 V.
• Demonstrated inductive coupling between 3D nanobioelectrodes and living neurons.

Conclusions:

• Miniature EFCs are a viable power source for implantable neural interfaces.
• The developed 3D nanostructured electrodes enable efficient biofuel cell operation in biological environments.
• This technology holds promise for advanced neurophysiological studies and clinical applications.