Graphene-based neurotechnologies for advanced neural interfaces

Understanding how neuron populations transform activities of individual neurons into complex behaviors is one of the biggest challenges of neuroscience research. However, current neural monitoring and controlling technologies provide insufficient spatiotemporal resolution to unravel neural circuit functions. To this end, multifunctional neurotechnologies combining electrical, optical and chemical sensing and stimulation modalities have been proposed to overcome resolution limits. Research in multifunctional probes has fueled the demand for new materials to build minimally invasive chronic interfaces to the brain. Graphene has recently emerged as a neural interface material offering several outstanding properties, such as optical transparency, flexibility, high conductivity, functionalization and biocompatibility. The unique combination of these properties in a single material system makes graphene an attractive choice for multi-modal probing of neural activity. In this review, we discuss recent advances in graphene-based neurotechnologies, highlight different approaches and consider emerging directions inspired by unique characteristics of graphene.