Carbon powder-filled microelectrode: An easy-to-fabricate probe for cellular electrochemistry

Asuka Tsujimura; Yuhi Kamae; Hikaru Kawasaki; Haruki Nagai; Masanobu Kano; Toshihide Tabata

doi:10.1016/j.ab.2021.114316

Carbon powder-filled microelectrode: An easy-to-fabricate probe for cellular electrochemistry

Anal Biochem. 2021 Sep 15:629:114316. doi: 10.1016/j.ab.2021.114316. Epub 2021 Jul 24.

Authors

Asuka Tsujimura¹, Yuhi Kamae², Hikaru Kawasaki³, Haruki Nagai⁴, Masanobu Kano⁵, Toshihide Tabata⁶

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory for Biological Information Processing, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, 3190 Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan. Electronic address: m2171127@ems.u-toyama.ac.jp.
² Laboratory for Biological Information Processing, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, 3190 Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan. Electronic address: m2171111@ems.u-toyama.ac.jp.
³ Laboratory for Biological Information Processing, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, 3190 Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan. Electronic address: m2171114@ems.u-toyama.ac.jp.
⁴ Laboratory for Biological Information Processing, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, 3190 Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan. Electronic address: m2071113@ems.u-toyama.ac.jp.
⁵ Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan; International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan. Electronic address: mkano-tky@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
⁶ Laboratory for Biological Information Processing, Faculty of Engineering, University of Toyama, 3190 Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan. Electronic address: ttabata@eng.u-toyama.ac.jp.

PMID: 34314725
DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2021.114316

Abstract

Carbon fiber and carbon fiber disc microelectrodes are widely used for electrochemical detection of biochemicals released from cells. However, fabricating these types of microelectrodes is difficult and time-consuming. Here, we report an easy-to-fabricate, carbon powder-filled microelectrode consisting of a pulled glass capillary backfilled with carbon powder. Carbon tip size and responsiveness can be controlled by adjusting the settings of the puller. Carbon powder-filled microelectrodes with tip opening diameters of 7-24 μm detected sub-micromolar to sub-millimolar levels of dopamine and catecholamines released from PC-12 cells. This simple microelectrode should promote further work on cellular and tissue electrochemistry.

Keywords: Amperometry; Cyclic voltammetry; Neuromodulator; Neuron; Neurotransmitter; Synapse.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Carbon / chemistry*
Catecholamines / analysis
Catecholamines / metabolism
Cell Line
Dopamine / analysis
Dopamine / metabolism
Electrochemical Techniques
Humans
Microelectrodes
Neurotransmitter Agents / analysis
Neurotransmitter Agents / metabolism
Powders / chemistry*

Substances

Catecholamines
Neurotransmitter Agents
Powders
Carbon
Dopamine