New projects & Milestones
The AEMD group aims to explore fundamental electronic and electrochemical phenomena of novel materials, with a current particular emphasis on graphene and other 2D materials (e.g. MoS2), and to develop the fabrication and processing technologies necessary to prepare advanced electronic devices and systems based on them. A major focus of our work are applications related to neural interfaces and neuroelectronics.
2020 has been a year of great progress for the group. Our team has continued working on BrainCom, the EU FET Proactive project coordinated by us, which is oriented at developing a new generation of neural prostheses for restoring communication in patients with severely impaired language processing abilities. As a highlight, we have published several publications in journals such as Nano Letters, Nature Communications, 2D Materials, etc., validating the use of graphene field effect transistors for mapping of brain activity in acute and chronic in vivo settings.
Within the EU Graphene Flagship, our group has participated in the Core 2 phase of the project (until March 2020) and is now involved in the Core 3 phase, which started in April 2020. During the last year, we have advanced in developing a technology for the preparation of high-performing microelectrode arrays based on reduced graphene oxide, and a patent has been filed. We have signed an R&D agreement with INBRAIN Neuroelectronics for the scaling-up of this technology.
Our efforts to develop implantable devices to interface the peripheral nervous system continue as part of the projects GRAFIN (under the FLAG ERA programme and the lead of Prof. Xavier Navarro from the UAB) funded by the Areces Foundation. As an important outcome of these two projects, we have demonstrated the chronic biocompatibility of this type of nerve implants. Our team is working in the i-VISION project (La Caixa Health Research project), focused on the development of retinal implants for vision restoration, an endeavour carried out in collaboration with IFAE, ICFO, Barraquer Foundation and Paris Vision Institute. Moreover, our team participates in the GraphCat project, with different contributions including graphene-based retinal implants, graphene transistors for cortical implants and graphene electrodes for brain mapping.
We continue advancing our research as a Consolidated Research Group thanks to the support of the Catalan Government and as part of a project founded by the Spanish Ministry, focused on technologies based in 2D materials for biomedical applications, of which Dr Elena del Corro is co-PI.
Within the EU project WASP, devoted to the development of wearable electronics for biomedical applications, our group leads the fabrication of graphene electrodes for pH, humidity and glucose sensing. In collaboration with the University of Manchester, we have tested the response of the graphene ink to the pH change expected in an injury when infected.
Together with the ICN2 Phononic and Photonic Nanostructures Group led by Prof. Sotomayor Torres, our group also take part in the NANOSMART project for the development of wireless technology based on carbon and 2D materials. In this project, we contribute to the preparation of large scale highly uniform films of MoS2 by MOCVD, which are used for the fabrication of field-effect transistors for power control applications.
At an individual level, Dr Elena del Corro was awarded with a Ramon y Cajal grant and with the GRAPHINIT project under the “Europa Investigación” call, both funded by the Spanish Ministry and the Spanish State Research Agency.