Abstract
Direct laser writing, a nano 3D-printing approach, has enabled fabrication of customized carbon microelectrode sensors for neurochemical detection. However, to detect neurotransmitters in tiny biological organisms or synapses, submicrometer nanoelectrodes are required. In this work, we used 3D printing to fabricate carbon nanoelectrode sensors. Customized structures were 3D printed and then pyrolyzed, resulting in free-standing carbon electrodes with nanotips. The nanoelectrodes were insulated with atomic layer deposition of Al2O3 and the nanotips were polished by a focused ion beam to form 600 nm disks. Using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, the electrodes successfully detected stimulated dopamine in the adult fly brain, demonstrating that they are robust and sensitive enough to use in tiny biological systems. This work is the first demonstration of 3D printing to fabricate free-standing carbon nanoelectrode sensors and will enable batch fabrication of customized nanoelectrode sensors with precise control and excellent reproducibility.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 6831-6836 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Nano Letters |
Volume | 20 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 9 2020 |
Funding
This work was funded by NIH R01EB026497 and NIH R01MH085159. Direct laser writing, rapid thermal processing, atomic layer deposition, parylene coating, Raman spectroscopy, and a portion of the scanning electron microscopy analyses of this research were conducted at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility.
Keywords
- 3D printing
- Carbon
- Nanoelectrode
- Neurotransmitter
- Sensors
- Two-photon lithography