Ultrasensitive Monolithic Dopamine Microsensors Employing Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofibers

Brain-on-Chip devices, which facilitate on-chip cultures of neurons to simulate brain functions, are receiving tremendous attention from both fundamental and clinical research. Consequently, microsensors are being developed to accomplish real-time monitoring of neurotransmitters, which are the benchmarks for neuron network operation. Among these, electrochemical sensors have emerged as promising candidates for detecting a critical neurotransmitter, dopamine. However, current state-of-the-art electrochemical dopamine sensors are suffering from issues like limited sensitivity and cumbersome fabrication. Here, a novel route in monolithically microfabricating vertically aligned carbon nanofiber electrochemical dopamine microsensors is reported with an anti-blistering slow cooling process. Thanks to the microfabrication process, microsensors is created with complete insulation and large surface areas. The champion device shows extremely high sensitivity of 4.52× 10