Temporal Resolution in Electrochemical Imaging on Single PC12 Cells Using Amperometry and Voltammetry at Microelectrode Arrays

Carbon-fiber-microelectrode arrays (MEAs) have been utilized to electrochemically image neurochemical secretion from individual pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. Dopamine release events were electrochemically monitored from seven different locations on single PC12 cells using alternately constant-potential amperometry and fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV). Cyclic voltammetry, when compared to amperometry, can provide excellent chemical resolution; however, spatial and temporal resolution are both compromised. The spatial and temporal resolution of these two methods has been quantitatively compared, and the differences explained using models of molecular diffusion at the nanogap between the electrode and the cell. A numerical simulation of the molecular flux reveals that the diffusion of dopamine molecules and electrochemical reactions both play important roles in the temporal resolution of electrochemical imaging. The simulation also reveals that the diffusion and electrode potential cause the differences in signal crosstalk between electrodes when comparing amperometry and FSCV.