Polymer-Modified Carbon Fiber Microelectrodes for Neurochemical Detection of Dopamine and Metabolites

In Vivo Electrochemical Biosensors: Recent Advances in Molecular Design, Electrode Materials, and Electrochemical Devices

Electrochemical biosensors provide powerful tools for dissecting the dynamically changing neurochemical signals in the living brain, which contribute to the insight into the physiological and pathological processes of the brain, due to their high spatial and temporal resolutions. Recent advances in the integration of in vivo electrochemical sensors with cross-disciplinary advances have reinvigorated the development of in vivo sensors with even better performance. In this Review, we summarize the recent advances in molecular design, electrode materials, and electrochemical devices for in vivo electrochemical sensors from molecular to macroscopic dimensions, highlighting the methods to obtain high performance for fulfilling the requirements for determination in the complex brain through flexible and smart design of molecules, materials, and devices. Also, we look forward to the development of next-generation in vivo electrochemical biosensors.

Multiplexing neurochemical detection with carbon fiber multielectrode arrays using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry

Carbon fiber microelectrodes (CFMEs) have been extensively used to measure neurotransmitters with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) due to their ability to adsorb cationic monoamine neurotransmitters. Although FSCV, in tandem with CFMEs, provides high temporal and spatial resolution, only single-channel potentiostats and electrodes have been primarily utilized. More recently, the need and use of carbon fiber multielectrode arrays has risen to target multiple brain regions. Previous studies have shown the ability to detect dopamine using multielectrode arrays; however, they are not readily available to the scientific community. In this work, we interfaced a carbon fiber multielectrode array (MEA or multielectrode array), to a commercially available four-channel potentiostat for multiplexing neurochemical measurements. The MEA's relative performance was compared to single CFMEs where dopamine detection was found to be adsorption controlled to the electrode's surface. Multiple waveforms were applied to each fiber of the multielectrode array simultaneously to detect different analytes on each electrode of the array. A proof of concept ex vivo experiment showed that the multielectrode array could record redox activity in different areas within the mouse caudate putamen and detect dopamine in a 3-mm2 area. To our knowledge, this is the first use of the multielectrode array paired with a commercially available multichannel potentiostat for multi-waveform application and neurotransmitter co-detection. This novel array may aid in future studies to better understand complex brain heterogeneity, the dynamic neurochemical environment, and how disease states or drugs affect separate brain areas concurrently. Graphical abstract.

Review-Recent Advances in FSCV Detection of Neurochemicals via Waveform and Carbon Microelectrode Modification

Fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is an analytical technique that was first developed over 30 years ago. Since then, it has been extensively used to detect dopamine using carbon fiber microelectrodes (CFMEs). More recently, electrode modifications and waveform refinement have enabled the detection of a wider variety of neurochemicals including nucleosides such as adenosine and guanosine, neurotransmitter metabolites of dopamine, and neuropeptides such as enkephalin. These alterations have facilitated the selectivity of certain biomolecules over others to enhance the measurement of the analyte of interest while excluding interferants. In this review, we detail these modifications and how specializing CFME sensors allows neuro-analytical researchers to develop tools to understand the neurochemistry of the brain in disease states and provide groundwork for translational work in clinical settings.

Polymer Modified Carbon Fiber Microelectrodes for Precision Neurotransmitter Metabolite Measurements

Carbon fiber-microelectrodes (CFMEs) are considered to be one of the standard electrodes for neurotransmitter detection such as dopamine (DA). DA is physiologically important for many pharmacological and behavioral states, but is readily metabolized on a fast, subsecond timescale. Recently, DA metabolites such as 3-methoxytyramine (3-MT) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL) were found to be involved in physiological functions, such as movement control and progressive neuro degeneration. However, there is no current assay to detect and differentiate them from DA. In this study, we demonstrate the co-detection of similarly structured neurochemicals such as DA, 3-MT, and DOPAL. We accomplished this through electrodepositing CFMEs with polyethyleneimine (PEI) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) polymers. This endowed the bare unmodified CFMEs with surface charge, physical, and chemical differences, which resulted in the improved sensitivity and selectivity of neurotransmitter detection. The differentiation and detection of 3-MT, DOPAL, and DA will potentially help further understand the important physiological roles that these dopaminergic metabolites play in vivo.