Fast Reconfigurable Electrode Array Based on Titanium Oxide for Localized Stimulation of Cultured Neural Network

Planar microelectrode arrays have become standard tools for in vitro neural-network analysis. However, these predefined micropatterned devices lack adaptability to target-specific cells within a cultured network. Herein, we fabricated a reconfigurable TiO 2 electrode array with an anatase–brookite bicrystalline polymorphous mesoporous layer. Because of its selective absorption of ultraviolet (UV) light and corresponding photoconductivity, TiO 2 electrode array was identified as a promising tool for high-resolution light-addressing. The TiO 2 film was used as a semitransparent semiconductor with a high R off / R on ratio of 10 5 and a fast response time of 400 ms. In addition, the effect of UV radiation on the resistance of the TiO 2 film over 30 d in an aqueous environment was analyzed, with the film exhibiting high stability. An arbitrary UV pattern was applied to a reconfigurable TiO 2 electrode using a digital micromirror device (DMD), affording highly localized neural stimulation at the single-cell level. The reconfigurable TiO 2 electrode with a patterned indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate enabled the independent connection of up to 60 points with external stimulators and signal recorders. We believe this technique would be helpful for electrophysiological research requiring the analysis of cell and neural-network features using a highly localized neural interface.