Understanding the function of nitric oxide, a lipophilic messenger in physiological processes across nervous, cardiovascular and immune systems, is currently impeded by the dearth of tools to deliver this gaseous molecule in situ to specific cells. To address this need, we have developed iron sulfide nanoclusters that catalyse nitric oxide generation from benign sodium nitrite in the presence of modest electric fields. Locally generated nitric oxide activates the nitric oxide-sensitive cation channel, transient receptor potential vanilloid family member 1 (TRPV1), and the latency of TRPV1-mediated Ca²⁺ responses can be controlled by varying the applied voltage. Integrating these electrocatalytic nanoclusters with multimaterial fibres allows nitric oxide-mediated neuronal interrogation in vivo. The in situ generation of nitric oxide in the ventral tegmental area with the electrocatalytic fibres evoked neuronal excitation in the targeted brain region and its excitatory projections. This nitric oxide generation platform may advance mechanistic studies of the role of nitric oxide in the nervous system and other organs.

目前，由于缺乏将这种气态分子原位传递到特定细胞的工具，目前阻碍了了解一氧化氮的功能，一氧化氮是神经、心血管和免疫系统生理过程中的亲脂信使。为了满足这一需求，我们开发了硫化铁纳米团簇，在适度的电场存在下催化良性亚硝酸钠生成一氧化氮。局部产生的一氧化氮激活一氧化氮敏感的阳离子通道、瞬时受体电位香草素家族成员 1 (TRPV1) 和 TRPV1 介导的 Ca ^{2+的潜伏期}响应可以通过改变施加的电压来控制。将这些电催化纳米簇与多材料纤维相结合，可以在体内进行一氧化氮介导的神经元询问。用电催化纤维在腹侧被盖区原位生成一氧化氮引起目标脑区的神经元兴奋及其兴奋性投射。这种一氧化氮生成平台可能会推进一氧化氮在神经系统和其他器官中作用的机制研究。