BIocompatible Reduced Graphene Oxide Multilayers for Neural Interfaces

  • 김성민 (광주과학기술원 신소재공학부) ;
  • 주필재 (울산과학기술대학교 친환경에너지공학부, 나노생명화학공학부) ;
  • 안국문 (울산과학기술대학교 친환경에너지공학부, 나노생명화학공학부) ;
  • 김병수 (울산과학기술대학교 친환경에너지공학부, 나노생명화학공학부) ;
  • 윤명한 (광주과학기술원 신소재공학부)
  • Published : 2013.08.21

Abstract

Among the prerequisites for stable neural interfacing are the long-term stability of electrical performance of and the excellent biocompatibility of conducting materials in implantable neural electrodes. Reduced graphene oxide offers a great potential for a variety of biomedical applications including biosensors and, particularly, neural interfaces due to its superb material properties such as high electrical conductivity, decent optical transparency, facile processibility, and etc. Nonetheless, there have been few systematic studies on the graphene-based neural interfaces in terms of biocompatibility of electrode materials and long term stability in electrical characteristics. In this research, we prepared the primary culture of rat hippocampal neurons directly on reduced graphene oxide films which is chosen as a model electrode material for the neural electrode. We observed that the viability of primary neuronal culture on the present structure is minimally affected by nanoscale graphene flakes below. These results implicate that the multilayer films of reduced graphene oxides can be utilized for the next-generation neural interfaces with decent biocompatibility and outstanding electrical performance.

Keywords