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Updated: Sep 8, 2025

Regeneration of Arrayed Gold Microelectrodes Equipped for a Real-Time Cell Analyzer
Published on: March 12, 2018
Paradox of nobility: how a gold TEM grid disrupts cellular integrity while nickel preserves stability
Yongdeok Ahn1, Juhyeong Cho1, Siwoo Jin1
1Department of Physics and Chemistry, DGIST, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea. livewire@dgist.ac.kr.
Abstract:
Although gold is regarded as inert, its redox cycling produces reactive oxygen species that compromise cellular integrity. Alternatively, nickel stabilises upon oxidation, limiting charge transfer and oxidative stress. We show that Au-based substrates disrupt organelles, whereas Ni-based substrates preserve endoplasmic reticulum tubules, compelling the reassessment of material biocompatibility in composite systems.
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