Traditional carbon electrodes are made of glassy carbon or carbon fibers and have limited shapes. 3D printing offers many advantages for manufacturing carbon electrodes, such as complete customization of the shape and the ability to fabricate devices and electrodes simultaneously. Additive manufacturing is the most common 3D printing method, where carbon materials are added to the material to make it conductive, and treatments applied to enhance electrochemical activity. A newer form of 3D printing is 2-photon lithography, where electrodes are printed in photoresist via laser lithography and then annealed to carbon by pyrolysis. Applications of 3D printed carbon electrodes include nanoelectrode measurements of neurotransmitters, arrays of biosensors, and integrated electrodes in microfluidic devices.
Welcome to the Venton Lab!
Content
Venton Lab: Analytical Neurochemistry
Our research program is focused on the development of sensing and sampling techniques for the detection of new molecules in the brain. We aim to study the real-time release of many different neurotransmitters simultaneously to better understand the normal and diseased functioning of the brain.
Note: We are recruiting graduate students for Fall 2023
The Venton lab was recently featured in UVA Today: Read about our fly work here
Venton Lab introduction video!