A novel bioelectrode will be fabricated from with resulting incorporation of neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine, y-aminobutyrate, r-dopamine, glutamate, into the polymer matrix of the conducting polymers. Under proper conditions, this bioelectrode can be electrochemically reduced bioelectrode. The neurotransmitter can remain entrapped within the conducting polymer matrix when the bioelectrode is kept at a proper potential. When the bioelectrode is stimulated by an electric pulse, the entrapped neurotransmitter can be released from the polymer matrix. The novel electrode described here is the prototype for a device that could be used to deliver small amounts of biomedically interesting materials to specific locations at specific times.
Anticipated Results:In neuroscience, such a device could be of use to neuroscientists interested in the action of drugs and neurotransmitters at the single-neuron level. In addition, using this mechanism for biochemical communication will provide a bioaccessible interface that may find applications in connecting biosystems to nonbiosystems.National Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke (NINDS)
