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Updated: Jun 12, 2025
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Fabrication of Ti3C2 MXene Microelectrode Arrays for In Vivo Neural Recording
Published on: February 12, 2020
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Transparent MXene Microelectrode Arrays for Multimodal Mapping of Neural Dynamics
Sneha Shankar1,2,3, Yuzhang Chen2,3, Spencer Averbeck1,2,3
1Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
|September 27, 2024
Summary
Researchers developed transparent MXene microelectrode arrays for neural sensing. These advanced arrays offer high spatiotemporal resolution for brain activity recording and enable simultaneous imaging, overcoming limitations of current transparent electrode technologies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Transparent microelectrode arrays are crucial for neural sensing, providing high spatial and temporal resolution.
- Existing transparent electrodes face challenges in durability, transparency, low impedance, and scalable fabrication.
- There is a need for advanced transparent electrodes that overcome these limitations for multimodal neural mapping.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce artifact-resistant transparent MXene microelectrode arrays for high spatiotemporal resolution neural recording.
- To evaluate the performance of these arrays for simultaneous electrophysiology and imaging.
- To demonstrate their utility in preclinical models of neurological activity.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of transparent microelectrode arrays using Ti₃C₂Tx MXene.
- Optical characterization (transmittance at 550 nm).
- Electrochemical characterization (impedance, charge storage capacity).
- In vivo electrophysiological recordings in rodent models (epileptiform activity, barrel cortex multi-unit activity).
- Simultaneous calcium imaging and electrophysiology.
Main Results:
- Achieved 60% transmittance at 550 nm with low impedance (563 ± 99 kΩ at 1 kHz) and high charge storage capacity (58 mC cm⁻²).
- Successfully recorded neural activity, including seizure onset and multi-unit activity, in rodent models.
- Demonstrated simultaneous electrophysiology and calcium imaging without light-induced artifacts.
- Validated artifact resistance and high spatiotemporal resolution capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Transparent MXene microelectrode arrays offer a promising solution for advanced neural sensing.
- These arrays facilitate multimodal neural mapping by enabling simultaneous electrophysiology and optical techniques.
- The developed technology overcomes key limitations of current transparent electrodes, paving the way for improved brain-computer interfaces and neural research tools.
