Objective. Trauma induced by the insertion of microelectrodes into cortical neural tissue is a significant problem. Further, micromotion and mechanical mismatch between microelectrode probes and neural tissue is implicated in an adverse foreign body response (FBR). Hence, intracortical ultra-microelectrode probes have been proposed as alternatives that minimize this FBR. However, significant challenges in implanting these flexible probes remain. We investigated the insertion mechanics of amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) probes with a view to defining probe geometries that can be inserted into cortex without buckling. Approach. We determined the critical buckling force of a-SiC probes as a function of probe geometry and then characterized the buckling behavior of these probes by measuring force-displacement responses during insertion into agarose gel and rat cortex. Main Results. Insertion forces for a range of probe geometries were determined and compared with critical buckling forces to establish geometries that should avoid buckling during implantation into brain. The studies show that slower insertion speeds reduce the maximum insertion force for single-shank probes but increase cortical dimpling during insertion of multi-shank probes. Significance. Our results provide a guide for selecting probe geometries and insertion speeds that allow unaided implantation of probes into rat cortex. The design approach is applicable to other animal models where insertion of intracortical probes to a depth of 2 mm is required.

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Liquid metal-based applications are limited by the wetting nature of polymers toward surface-oxidized gallium-based liquid metals. This work demonstrates that a 120 s CF4/O2 plasma treatment of polymer surfacessuch as poly­(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), SU8, S1813, and polyimideconverts these previously wetting surfaces to nonwetting surfaces for gallium-based liquid metals. Static and advancing contact angles of all plasma-treated surfaces are >150°, and receding contact angles are >140°, with contact angle hysteresis in the range of 8.2–10.7°, collectively indicating lyophobic behavior. This lyophobic behavior is attributed to the plasma simultaneously fluorinating the surface while creating sub-micron scale roughness. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show a large presence of fluorine at the surface, indicating fluorination of surface methyl groups, while atomic force microscopy (AFM) results show that plasma-treated surfaces have an order of magnitude greater surface roughness than pristine surfaces, indicating a Cassie–Baxter state, which suggests that surface roughness is the primary cause of the nonwetting property, with surface chemistry making a smaller contribution. Solid surface free energy values for all plasma-treated surfaces were found to be generally lower than the pristine surfaces, indicating that this process can be used to make similar classes of polymers nonwetting to gallium-based liquid metals.

Highly aligned carbon nanotubes (HACNT sheets) have recently attracted great attention in developing high-performing ultrathin supercapacitors, which take advantage of the long-range alignment to improve electrochemical performance. While there are investigations into sandwich electrode CNT sheet devices, there are no known reports on interdigitated electrode (IDE) HACNT sheet microsupercapacitors (MSCs). This paper reports a facile method for rapidly fabricating high energy density ultrathin HACNT sheet-based MSCs with IDE planar configuration. Increasing the electrode thickness from 32 nm (5 layers) to 300 nm (50 layers) results in an approximately three times factor in performance. The 50 layer devices (MSC-50L) yield a top energy density of 10.52 mWhcm–3 and power density of 19.33 Wcm–3, making its performance comparable to those of microbatteries with potential for further improvement. Additionally, incorporation of MnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) within the MSCs-50L improves specific capacitance (242 Fcm–3), energy density (33.7 mWhcm–3), and power density (31 Wcm–3), outperforming current thin-film MSCs and matching the performance of 3D MSCs. MSCs also demonstrate a long cycle life (7000 charge–discharge cycles) with less than 5% capacitance fade. These findings suggest that HACNT sheets have substantial potential as active electrode materials for ultrathin high energy density microscale power sources.

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