Implantable brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) are crucial tools for translating basic neuroscience concepts into clinical disease diagnosis and therapy. Among the various components of the technological chain that increases the sensing and stimulation functions of implanted BCI, the interface materials play a critical role. Carbon nanomaterials, with their superior electrical, structural, chemical, and biological capabilities, have become increasingly popular in this field. They have contributed significantly to advancing BCIs by improving the sensor signal quality of electrical and chemical signals, enhancing the impedance and stability of stimulating electrodes, and precisely modulating neural function or inhibiting inflammatory responses through drug release. This comprehensive review provides an overview of carbon nanomaterials’ contributions to the field of BCI and discusses their potential applications. The topic is broadened to include the use of such materials in the field of bioelectronic interfaces, as well as the potential challenges that may arise in future implantable BCI research and development. By exploring these issues, this review aims to provide insight into the exciting developments and opportunities that lie ahead in this rapidly evolving field.

Implantable central and peripheral neural interfaces have great potential in treating various nerve injuries and diseases. Still, limitations of surgery trauma, handling inconvenience, and biocompatibility issues of available materials and techniques significantly hinder the peripheral nerve interface for research and clinical purposes. MXenes have great potential as bioelectronics materials for excellent hydrophilicity, conductivity, and biocompatibility. However, their application in bioelectronic interface has been limited due to the poor oxidation stability and fast tissue clearance. Here, we developed a minimal-invasive jet-injected neural interface using MXene nanosheets with strong redox stability, tissue adhesion, conductivity, and good self-bonding properties. We also develop a minimal-invasive jet injector to implant the optimized MXene suspension into the damaged sciatic nerve and establish a neural interface through tissue adhesion and self-bonding. We use this neural interface to promote nerve regeneration and perform electrophysiology recording on moving mice. We prove that the nanosheets can mitigate cellular inflammation, promote tissue healing, and record high-quality electrophysiology signals for predicting joint movement. Thus, our material and implantation strategy together form a novel minimal-invasive neural interface, facilitating the collection and analysis of large-scale living body data to solve the challenge of neurological diseases of the peripheral or even the central nervous system.