Interactions between Primary Neurons and Graphene Films with Different Structure and Electrical Conductivity

Andrea Capasso; João Rodrigues; Matteo Moschetta; Francesco Buonocore; Giuliana Faggio; Giacomo Messina; Min Jung Kim; Junyoung Kwon; Ernesto Placidi; Fabio Benfenati; Mattia Bramini; Gwan Hyoung Lee; Nicola Lisi

doi:10.1002/adfm.202005300

Interactions between Primary Neurons and Graphene Films with Different Structure and Electrical Conductivity

Andrea Capasso, João Rodrigues, Matteo Moschetta, Francesco Buonocore, Giuliana Faggio, Giacomo Messina, Min Jung Kim, Junyoung Kwon, Ernesto Placidi, Fabio Benfenati, Mattia Bramini, Gwan Hyoung Lee, Nicola Lisi

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Graphene-based materials represent a useful tool for the realization of novel neural interfaces. Several studies have demonstrated the biocompatibility of graphene-based supports, but the biological interactions between graphene and neurons still pose open questions. In this work, the influence of graphene films with different characteristics on the growth and maturation of primary cortical neurons is investigated. Graphene films are grown by chemical vapor deposition progressively lowering the temperature range from 1070 to 650 °C to change the lattice structure and corresponding electrical conductivity. Two graphene-based films with different electrical properties are selected and used as substrate for growing primary cortical neurons: i) highly crystalline and conductive (grown at 1070 °C) and ii) highly disordered and 140-times less conductive (grown at 790 °C). Electron and fluorescence microscopy imaging reveal an excellent neuronal viability and the development of a mature, structured, and excitable network onto both substrates, regardless of their microstructure and electrical conductivity. The results underline that high electrical conductivity by itself is not fundamental for graphene-based neuronal interfaces, while other physico–chemical characteristics, including the atomic structure, should be also considered in the design of functional, bio-friendly templates. This finding widens the spectrum of carbon-based materials suitable for neuroscience applications.

Original language	English
Article number	2005300
Journal	Advanced Functional Materials
Volume	31
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202005300
Publication status	Published - 2021 Mar 10

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
A. Mehilli is gratefully acknowledged for primary cell culture preparations, as well as D. Moruzzo, R. Ciancio, and I. Dallorto for technical and administrative support. The work was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement Grant Agreement No. 785219—Graphene Flagship—Core2 and Ministero degli Affari Esteri e Cooperazione Internazionale of Italy (Farnesina—MAECI) under the Grant Agreement No. MAE0057294. G.H.L. acknowledges supports from Basic Science Research Program, the Creative Materials Discovery Program, and the International Research & Development Program through the NRF of Korea (2016M3A7B4910940, 2018M3D1A1058793, 2019K1A3A1A25000267). M.B. acknowledges the European Union's Horizon 2020 under the Marie Skłodowska–Curie Action‐COFUND Athenea3i grant agreement No. 754446. A.C. acknowledges the support of the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska–Curie grant agreement No. 713640.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH GmbH

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Chemistry(all)
Materials Science(all)
Condensed Matter Physics

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10.1002/adfm.202005300

Cite this

Capasso, A., Rodrigues, J., Moschetta, M., Buonocore, F., Faggio, G., Messina, G., Kim, M. J., Kwon, J., Placidi, E., Benfenati, F., Bramini, M., Lee, G. H., & Lisi, N. (2021). Interactions between Primary Neurons and Graphene Films with Different Structure and Electrical Conductivity. Advanced Functional Materials, 31(11), [2005300]. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202005300

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title = "Interactions between Primary Neurons and Graphene Films with Different Structure and Electrical Conductivity",

abstract = "Graphene-based materials represent a useful tool for the realization of novel neural interfaces. Several studies have demonstrated the biocompatibility of graphene-based supports, but the biological interactions between graphene and neurons still pose open questions. In this work, the influence of graphene films with different characteristics on the growth and maturation of primary cortical neurons is investigated. Graphene films are grown by chemical vapor deposition progressively lowering the temperature range from 1070 to 650 °C to change the lattice structure and corresponding electrical conductivity. Two graphene-based films with different electrical properties are selected and used as substrate for growing primary cortical neurons: i) highly crystalline and conductive (grown at 1070 °C) and ii) highly disordered and 140-times less conductive (grown at 790 °C). Electron and fluorescence microscopy imaging reveal an excellent neuronal viability and the development of a mature, structured, and excitable network onto both substrates, regardless of their microstructure and electrical conductivity. The results underline that high electrical conductivity by itself is not fundamental for graphene-based neuronal interfaces, while other physico–chemical characteristics, including the atomic structure, should be also considered in the design of functional, bio-friendly templates. This finding widens the spectrum of carbon-based materials suitable for neuroscience applications.",

author = "Andrea Capasso and Jo{\~a}o Rodrigues and Matteo Moschetta and Francesco Buonocore and Giuliana Faggio and Giacomo Messina and Kim, {Min Jung} and Junyoung Kwon and Ernesto Placidi and Fabio Benfenati and Mattia Bramini and Lee, {Gwan Hyoung} and Nicola Lisi",

note = "Funding Information: A. Mehilli is gratefully acknowledged for primary cell culture preparations, as well as D. Moruzzo, R. Ciancio, and I. Dallorto for technical and administrative support. The work was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement Grant Agreement No. 785219—Graphene Flagship—Core2 and Ministero degli Affari Esteri e Cooperazione Internazionale of Italy (Farnesina—MAECI) under the Grant Agreement No. MAE0057294. G.H.L. acknowledges supports from Basic Science Research Program, the Creative Materials Discovery Program, and the International Research & Development Program through the NRF of Korea (2016M3A7B4910940, 2018M3D1A1058793, 2019K1A3A1A25000267). M.B. acknowledges the European Union's Horizon 2020 under the Marie Sk{\l}odowska–Curie Action‐COFUND Athenea3i grant agreement No. 754446. A.C. acknowledges the support of the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sk{\l}odowska–Curie grant agreement No. 713640. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH GmbH",

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AU - Capasso, Andrea

AU - Rodrigues, João

AU - Moschetta, Matteo

AU - Buonocore, Francesco

AU - Faggio, Giuliana

AU - Messina, Giacomo

AU - Kim, Min Jung

AU - Kwon, Junyoung

AU - Placidi, Ernesto

AU - Benfenati, Fabio

AU - Bramini, Mattia

AU - Lee, Gwan Hyoung

AU - Lisi, Nicola

N1 - Funding Information: A. Mehilli is gratefully acknowledged for primary cell culture preparations, as well as D. Moruzzo, R. Ciancio, and I. Dallorto for technical and administrative support. The work was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement Grant Agreement No. 785219—Graphene Flagship—Core2 and Ministero degli Affari Esteri e Cooperazione Internazionale of Italy (Farnesina—MAECI) under the Grant Agreement No. MAE0057294. G.H.L. acknowledges supports from Basic Science Research Program, the Creative Materials Discovery Program, and the International Research & Development Program through the NRF of Korea (2016M3A7B4910940, 2018M3D1A1058793, 2019K1A3A1A25000267). M.B. acknowledges the European Union's Horizon 2020 under the Marie Skłodowska–Curie Action‐COFUND Athenea3i grant agreement No. 754446. A.C. acknowledges the support of the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska–Curie grant agreement No. 713640. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH GmbH

PY - 2021/3/10

Y1 - 2021/3/10

N2 - Graphene-based materials represent a useful tool for the realization of novel neural interfaces. Several studies have demonstrated the biocompatibility of graphene-based supports, but the biological interactions between graphene and neurons still pose open questions. In this work, the influence of graphene films with different characteristics on the growth and maturation of primary cortical neurons is investigated. Graphene films are grown by chemical vapor deposition progressively lowering the temperature range from 1070 to 650 °C to change the lattice structure and corresponding electrical conductivity. Two graphene-based films with different electrical properties are selected and used as substrate for growing primary cortical neurons: i) highly crystalline and conductive (grown at 1070 °C) and ii) highly disordered and 140-times less conductive (grown at 790 °C). Electron and fluorescence microscopy imaging reveal an excellent neuronal viability and the development of a mature, structured, and excitable network onto both substrates, regardless of their microstructure and electrical conductivity. The results underline that high electrical conductivity by itself is not fundamental for graphene-based neuronal interfaces, while other physico–chemical characteristics, including the atomic structure, should be also considered in the design of functional, bio-friendly templates. This finding widens the spectrum of carbon-based materials suitable for neuroscience applications.

AB - Graphene-based materials represent a useful tool for the realization of novel neural interfaces. Several studies have demonstrated the biocompatibility of graphene-based supports, but the biological interactions between graphene and neurons still pose open questions. In this work, the influence of graphene films with different characteristics on the growth and maturation of primary cortical neurons is investigated. Graphene films are grown by chemical vapor deposition progressively lowering the temperature range from 1070 to 650 °C to change the lattice structure and corresponding electrical conductivity. Two graphene-based films with different electrical properties are selected and used as substrate for growing primary cortical neurons: i) highly crystalline and conductive (grown at 1070 °C) and ii) highly disordered and 140-times less conductive (grown at 790 °C). Electron and fluorescence microscopy imaging reveal an excellent neuronal viability and the development of a mature, structured, and excitable network onto both substrates, regardless of their microstructure and electrical conductivity. The results underline that high electrical conductivity by itself is not fundamental for graphene-based neuronal interfaces, while other physico–chemical characteristics, including the atomic structure, should be also considered in the design of functional, bio-friendly templates. This finding widens the spectrum of carbon-based materials suitable for neuroscience applications.

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Interactions between Primary Neurons and Graphene Films with Different Structure and Electrical Conductivity

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