Flexible Electrodes for the Electroanalysis of Neurotransmitters

Electrochemical sensors are powerful devices for the rapid, sensitive detection of analytes. This approach is particularly relevant to detect neurotransmitters, such as dopamine. However, electrodes are typically stiff, hard devices that can damage soft tissues, like the brain. This mechanical mismatch is often reported as a source of failure for sensor implantation. There is an interest in designing flexible sensors to address that concern. A strategy for preparing conductive polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was here applied to the fabrication of elastomeric electrochemical sensors. Characterization on known redox chemistries agreed with the theory, despite a higher electrode resistance than the standard sensors. Importantly, dopamine was successfully detected. These results hint that flexible sensors could be designed for better electrochemical detection in the brain and beyond, for instance in flexible devices and wearables.