Stability of Conducting Polymer-Coated Carbon Microfibers for Long-Term Electrical Stimulation of Injured Neural Tissue.

Electroactive microfiber-based scaffolds aid neural tissue repair. Carbon microfibers (CMFs) coated with the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly[(4-styrenesulfonic acid)--(maleic acid)] (PEDOT:PSS--MA) provide efficient support and guidance to regrowing axons across spinal cord lesions in rodents and pigs. We investigated the electrical and structural performance of PEDOT:PSS--MA-coated carbon MFs (PCMFs) for long-term, biphasic electrical stimulation (ES).