Description
Advances in research of neural prosthetics have led to the development of novel materials used for neural stimulation applications. Glassy carbon (GC) has demonstrated promise as a novel and robust material that can be used in such applications. This study focused on reporting the in-vitro testing of GC microelectrodes under stimulation and chemical exposure to simulate an in-vivo environment, and to determine corrosion. Microelectrode arrays were fabricated and tested for an electrochemical (EC) setup for long-term corrosion tests. GC electrode pillars were used to test the testing apparatus, and confirm its ability to stimulate the GC microelectrodes. Electrode stimulation was conducted over 7 and 14 day time periods in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) with two different types of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), USP and ACS. Corrosion of GC neural microelectrode arrays was monitored by physical, chemical, and electrochemical characterization methods. GC corrosion was characterized and evaluated over the duration of this study. Both GC and platinum microelectrode arrays were subjected to the same parameters. USP H2O2 did not corrode GC electrodes and characterization revealed that a protective layer can be preventing further electrode degradation. ACS H2O2 corroded GC electrodes. Implications of this work have given insights and new directions on testing neural prosthetic microelectrode arrays for stimulation applications.
