Transparent, metal-free PEDOT:PSS neural interfaces for simultaneous recording of low-noise electrophysiology and artifact-free two-photon imaging
Simultaneous two-photon imaging and electrophysiological recordings offer considerable potential for advancing neurological research and therapies. However, traditional metal-based neural interfaces suffer from photoelectric artifacts, while existing transparent implants rely on opaque interconnect lines to address conductivity limitations. Herein, we developed an optically transparent poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) neural electrode array with transparent electrodes and interconnect lines. Through a formamide, phosphoric acid, and ethylene glycol treatment, the metal-free PEDOT:PSS array achieved an impedance of 45.8 kΩ (at 1 kHz) even with a 20 × 20 µm² size. This advanced performance surpasses previous metal-free transparent neural interfaces and facilitates precise electrophysiological recordings, including extracellular action potentials and low-noise local field potentials. In vivo experiments demonstrated artifact-free two-photon imaging and reliable neural signal acquisition, while biocompatibility tests confirmed negligible cytotoxicity or immune responses. The developed metal-free PEDOT:PSS array provides a robust platform for neural recording and bioimaging, representing an advancement in transparent neural interface technology and integrated optical modalities.
Authors
- Ki Jun Yu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2922-2702)
- Takao Someya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3051-1138)
- Hyun Jae Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6879-9256)
- Hyun Woo Kim
- Seungrae Cho
- Jiwon Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6493-4484)
- Jong Youl Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8340-2894)
- Ju Young Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3349-0248)
- Kenjiro Fukuda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8015-5819)
- Kyubeen Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7425-2871)
- Mingyu Sang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0298-3250)
- Lulu Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3586-0815)
- Taemin Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5405-6603)
- Jong Eun Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6203-7413)
- Sunghoon Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3592-388X)
- Jong Bin An
- Young Uk Cho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2578-5177)
Institutions
- Pohang University of Science and Technology (KR)
- Gachon University (KR)
- Incheon National University (KR)
- Yonsei University (KR)
- RIKEN Advanced Science Institute (JP)
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (JP)
- Yonsei University Health System (KR)
- The University of Tokyo (JP)
- Catholic Kwandong University (KR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-04-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59303-2
- Citations
- 20
- Primary Topic
- Neuroscience and Neural Engineering
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 18.18
Funders
- National Research Foundation
- Yonsei University
- National Research Foundation of Korea
- Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea