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Injectable Antifouling Adhesive Hydrogel Enables Robust Neural Interfaces for Stable ECoG Recording
Jiacheng Peng1, Xing Li2, Wenlong Li2
1State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Biomedical Materials and Engineering Research Center of Hubei Province, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
|June 29, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed an injectable hydrogel to improve brain-computer interfaces by enhancing stability and reducing tissue response. This novel material supports long-term, high-fidelity brain recordings for advanced neural applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Neuroscience
- Bioelectronics Engineering
Background:
- Micro-electrocorticography (micro-ECoG) offers high-resolution brain sensing for brain-computer interfaces.
- Challenges include dural barrier disruption, cortical micromotion, and foreign body responses (FBR) that impair recording stability.
- Existing solutions address these issues separately, limiting overall device performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an integrated solution for stable subdural micro-ECoG recording.
- To create an injectable, in situ-forming hydrogel addressing barrier integrity, adhesion, and biofouling.
- To enhance long-term performance of micro-ECoG arrays in brain-computer interfaces.
Main Methods:
- Formulation of a multifunctional hydrogel combining dopamine-grafted sodium alginate (SA-DA) and branched poly(ethylene imine) (PEI).
- Utilized dual macromolecular crosslinking for rapid gelation and in situ formation under surgical conditions.
- Integrated the hydrogel with a 128-channel flexible micro-ECoG mesh array for testing.
Main Results:
- The hydrogel conformally sealed dural defects and filled interfacial gaps, providing wet tissue adhesion.
- Demonstrated resistance to nonspecific protein adsorption and reduced glial activation and fibrotic encapsulation.
- Preserved stable, high-fidelity cortical recordings from the micro-ECoG array over a 3-week period.
Conclusions:
- The multifunctional hydrogel effectively addresses key failure modes in subdural micro-ECoG recording.
- This integrated approach enhances device-tissue coupling and reduces adverse biological responses.
- Establishes a design principle for sustained soft bioelectronics through co-engineered barrier restoration, adhesion, and antifouling.
