Durable and Fatigue‐Resistant Soft Peripheral Neuroprosthetics for In Vivo Bidirectional Signaling

Soft neuroprosthetics that monitor signals from sensory neurons and deliver motor information can potentially replace damaged nerves. However, achieving long-term stability of devices interfacing peripheral nerves is challenging, since dynamic mechanical deformations in peripheral nerves cause material degradation in devices. Here, a durable and fatigue-resistant soft neuroprosthetic device is reported for bidirectional signaling on peripheral nerves. The neuroprosthetic device is made of a nanocomposite of gold nanoshell (AuNS)-coated silver (Ag) flakes dispersed in a tough, stretchable, and self-healing polymer (SHP). The dynamic self-healing property of the nanocomposite allows the percolation network of AuNS-coated flakes to rebuild after degradation. Therefore, its degraded electrical and mechanical performance by repetitive, irregular, and intense deformations at the device-nerve i…