| Abstract Scope |
Miniaturization and electrochemical performance enhancement of electrodes in emerging neural interfacing devices improves specificity, functionality, and performance. However, surgical site and post-implantation infections are amongst the most devastating complications after surgical procedures and implantations. Additionally, with the increased use of antibiotics, the threat of antibiotic resistance is significant and is increasingly becoming a global problem. Therefore, the need for alternative strategies to eliminate post-implantation infections and reduce antibiotic use has led to development of medical devices with antibacterial properties. In this work, we report on the development of electrochemically active antibacterial platinum-iridium electrodes targeted for use in neural interfacing applications. Electrodes are first restructured using hierarchical surface restructuring. In the second step of the process, atomic layer deposition is utilized to deposit a conformal antibacterial thin film on the hierarchical surface structure of the electrodes to impart antibacterial properties to the electrodes with minimal impact on electrochemical performance. |