Ultra Compact Nanoporous Platinum Coating Improves Neural Recording

Neural electrodes are key tools for achieving a successful brain-computer interface and the electrodes should be small to minimize damage to neural tissue and obtain good spatial selectivity such as single unit recording. Here we show conventional platinum/tungsten neural probes can be coated with nanoporous Pt. Thanks to nanoporous Pt with the extremely small and uniform pores, L₂-ePt, the electrode impedance could be reduced by more than 2 orders of magnitude while the apparent area was almost the same. L₂-ePt coating enhanced neuronal recording of local field potential in monkeys, leading to facilitating implanted electrical devices in the nervous system.