Advancing Toward Long-term Stable Graphene Neural Implants

Graphene-based neural interfaces are opening new possibilities in neuroscience. These thin, flexible devices can record and stimulate brain activity with remarkable precision. Thanks to graphene's electrical and mechanical properties, as well as its excellent biocompatibility, these technologies have already been tested in clinical procedures, including brain tumour surgeries. They are also being explored as potential tools for treating neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease.

To continue advancing this technology, researchers from the ICN2 Advanced Electronic Materials and Devices Group have developed a new generation of microelectrodes capable of withstanding moisture and mechanical stress, two of the main challenges for long-term implantation in the human body. The study, led by Georgios A. Katirtsidis, together with Dr Eduard Masvidal and ICREA Prof. José A. Garrido, has been published in Small Methods.

These new devices are based on nanoporous reduced graphene oxide (rGO), a graphene-derived material with a porous structure. The electrodes are encapsulated in a hybrid coating of polyimide and aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃), which provides both flexibility and strong resistance to humidity, electrochemical stress, and repeated mechanical bending. After long-term exposure to physiological-like fluids, one billion electrical pulses, and hundreds of bending cycles, the implants maintained stable performance with no detectable signs of degradation.

Although these tests do not yet account for biological factors such as inflammation or protein interactions, the results represent a highly promising step toward more durable, next-generation brain implants. Future work will focus on long-term biocompatibility studies, evaluating encapsulation integrity in chronic implants, and assessing the mechanical limits of the hybrid coating under more demanding conditions.

Read the original article on ICN2.