Neuronal Recording With Ti3C2

ti3c2 is a promising material for neuroelectronic devices due to its superior impedance and in vivo neural recording performance in comparison with standard metal microelectrodes. These advantages make it a viable alternative to gold electrodes for neuronal recording applications.

Synthesis, characterization and application of ti3c2

As-prepared ti3c2 was characterized by SEM (Zeiss Supra 50 VP), dynamic light scattering and UV-vis spectroscopy (Malvern Zetasizer Nano ZS90) from 200 to 1000 nm, and X-ray diffraction (XRD, Panalytical X’Pert PRO). Dynamic light scattering was performed using a polystyrene disposable cuvette with a dilute ti3c2 solution in the range 0.1 mg/mL and recorded 5 times. A polydispersity index of 0.390 was obtained and three noticeable peaks were observed at 1.6 mm, 6.8 mm, and 164 nm (Figure 1C).

AFM surface mapping showed that individual ti3c2 flakes were visible on the electrode surface as rough morphology with a large effective surface area. The rough morphology of the ti3c2 electrode surface suggests that ions can interact with the electrode over a large effective surface area and may contribute to its remarkably low interface impedance compared with metal electrodes.

Electrode fabrication and characterization:

We constructed two-dimensional MXene nanosheets with an array of 10 ti3c2 electrodes each bonded to a single Au bonding pad and contacts with an opening on top. The arrays were fabricated by electron-beam deposition of a 4 mm thick parylene-C encapsulation layer followed by etch mask lift-off and electrode deposition with Al through photolithography, electron-beam evaporation, and wet etching.