Carbon-Nanotube Biofiber Microelectrodes

All-biocompatible carbon-nanotube fibers were formed using wet spinning. In this process the spinning solutions used are carbon nanotubes dispersed using biomolecules such as hyaluronic acid and chitosan. We compare the effect of a coagulation bath containing either a polymer binder, e. g., polyethyleneimine, or simply a precipitating solvent system, e. g., acetone. The electrical, mechanical, and morphological properties of the resulting fibers were studied. Biocompatible electrode structures were generated suitable for a variety of biomedical applications, e. g., in biosensors or in systems where the application of an electrical field is advantageous (e. g., stimulation of electrically excitable cells such as nerve and muscle cells). (C) 2009 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3125799] All rights reserved.