Performance Study of TiO2-Au Photoelectric Nanocomposites for Novel Neuromodulation

A novel noninvasive yet highly efficient neuromodulation method via photoelectric nanocomposites (NCs) was proposed. The NCs were constructed by Au nanoparticles-attached TiO2 nanocrystals. Upon 405 nm light exposure, the photocurrent was enhanced when the pure TiO2 nanocrystals were modified with Au nanoparticles. It is evidenced that effective depolarization of NCs-treated neurons takes place upon 405 nm light illumination, certified by fluorescent dye test on PC12 cells. Furthermore, the NCs could remarkably remit the epilepsy seizures of zebrafishes, indicating that the NCs are potential candidates for curing neurological disorders.