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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.07.19.665698

BIOCOMPATIBILITY OF LARGE-AREA 2-DIMENSIONAL ELECTRONIC MATERIALS WITH NEURAL STEM CELLS

R Taranath, J.·Duquette, R.·Kutagulla, S.·Pietrosemoli Salazar, S.·Okogbue, E.·Zhou, J.·Jung, Y.·Duan, X.·Kireev, D.·K Seidlits, S.·Akinwande, D.
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Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) electronic materials hold immense promise for next-generation bio/neuro-electronic interfaces, but their biocompatibility has remained uncertain due to conflicting reports from studies focused on exfoliated flakes and suspensions. In this work, we present a comprehensive in vitro evaluation of electronic-grade large-area, chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown 2D materials - including platinum diselenide (PtSe2), platinum ditelluride (PtTe2), molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), and graphene - as substrates for mouse neural stem cell culture. Across all CVD-grown materials, the stem cells exhibited outstanding viability, with no significant differences in metabolic activity or live/apoptotic cell ratios compared to laminin-coated glass controls (p > 0.05). Importantly, these large-area 2D materials robustly supported neuronal differentiation, as evidenced by widespread {beta}III-tubulin expression. Strikingly, we found that flaky MoS2 promoted significantly greater neuronal maturation (>75% NeuN neurons) than any other substrate tested (25-50% NeuN; p < 0.05), revealing the critical influence of material format on bioactivity. While PtSe2 showed a tendency to promote glial lineage differentiation, our findings firmly establish large-area CVD-grown 2D materials as biocompatible, tunable platforms for neural interfacing, paving the way for their integration into advanced bio/neuro-electronic devices.

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R Taranath, J., Duquette, R., Kutagulla, S., Pietrosemoli Salazar, S., Okogbue, E., Zhou, J., Jung, Y., Duan, X., Kireev, D., K Seidlits, S., Akinwande, D.. 2025-07-23. BIOCOMPATIBILITY OF LARGE-AREA 2-DIMENSIONAL ELECTRONIC MATERIALS WITH NEURAL STEM CELLS. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.07.19.665698

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