Suspended Silicon Microphotodiodes for Electrochemical and Biological Applications

Local electric stimulation of tissues and cells has gained importance as therapeutic alternative in the treatment of many diseases. These alternatives aim to deliver a less invasively stimuli in liquid media, making imperative the development of versatile micro‐ and nanoscale solutions for wireless...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Germany), 2017-11, Vol.13 (41), p.n/a
Main Authors: Vargas‐Estevez, Carolina, Duch, Marta, Duque, Marcos, del Campo, Francisco Javier, Enriquez‐Barreto, Lilian, Murillo, Gonzalo, Torras, Núria, Plaza, José A., Saura, Carlos A., Esteve, Jaume
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Actuation
Animals
Biological effects
cell stimulation
Cells, Cultured
Chemical reactions
Diodes
Electrical properties
Electricity
Electrochemical analysis
Electrochemistry - methods
Electronics
intracellular chips
Light
Light emitting diodes
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Microtechnology - methods
Nanotechnology
neurons
photovoltaic cells
Silicon
Silicon - chemistry
suspended microparticles
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Summary:Local electric stimulation of tissues and cells has gained importance as therapeutic alternative in the treatment of many diseases. These alternatives aim to deliver a less invasively stimuli in liquid media, making imperative the development of versatile micro‐ and nanoscale solutions for wireless actuation. Here, a simple microfabrication process to produce suspended silicon microphotodiodes that can be activated by visible light to generate local photocurrents in their surrounding medium is presented. Electrical characterization using electrical probes confirms their diode behavior. To demonstrate their electrochemical performance, an indirect test is implemented in solution through photoelectrochemical reactions controlled by a white‐LED lamp. Furthermore, their effects on biological systems are observed in vitro using mouse primary neurons in which the suspended microphotodiodes are activated periodically with white‐LED lamp, bringing out observable morphological changes in neuronal processes. The results demonstrate a simplified and cost‐effective wireless tool for photovoltaic current generation in liquid media at the microscale. Suspended silicon microphotodiodes offer a simplified and cost‐effective wireless tool for photovoltaic current generation in liquid media at the microscale. These devices are fabricated following a simple microfabrication process using silicon‐based technologies. Furthermore, the applicability of these devices as electrochemical cells and for life science applications, as remote single‐cell stimulators, is evaluated using cultured cortical neurons.
ISSN:1613-6810
1613-6829
DOI:10.1002/smll.201701920