graphene

A single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb pattern. It is one atom thick, very strong, flexible, conducts electricity well, and lets almost all light through.

Those properties are why researchers use it for brain electrodes. A graphene array can record electrical signals from the surface of the brain while a microscope looks straight through it at the tissue beneath. That is the idea behind transparent brain-computer interfaces.

Graphene was first isolated in 2004. Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov received the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for it.

Graphene oxide is a different, chemically altered form, studied separately for uses such as drug delivery. The two names are often confused.

Related terms: nanomaterial, electrocorticography, transparent brain-computer interfaces, lipid nanoparticle

Sources: The Nobel Prize in Physics 2010 — NobelPrize.org; Transparent Brain-Computer Interface Uses AI and Nanotech — Psychology Today (Cami Rosso, 24 Jan 2024)