Single-transistor organic electrochemical neurons

Nature Communications, vol. 16, pp. 4334

Abstract

Abstract Neuromorphic devices that mimic the energy-efficient sensing and processing capabilities of biological neurons hold significant promise for developing bioelectronic systems capable of precise sensing and adaptive stimulus-response. However, current silicon-based technologies lack biocompatibility and rely on operational principles that differ from those of biological neurons. Organic electrochemical neurons (OECNs) address these shortcomings but typically require multiple components, limiting their integration density and scalability. Here, we report a single-transistor OECN (1T–OECN) that leverages the hysteretic switching of organic electrochemical memtransistors (OECmTs) based on poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline). By tuning the electrolyte and driving voltage, the OECmTs switch between high- and low-resistance states, enabling action potential generation, dynamic spiking, and logic operations within a single device with dimensions comparable to biological neurons. The compact 1T–OECN design (~180 µm 2 footprint) supports high–density integration, achieving over 62,500 neurons/cm 2 on flexible substrates. This advancement highlights the potential for scalable, bio-inspired neuromorphic computing and seamless integration with biological systems.

Authors 9

1. Junpeng Ji

   Linköping University

   Affiliation as printed

   Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden

2. Dace Gao

   Linköping University

   Affiliation as printed

   Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden

3. Hanyan Wu

   Linköping University

   Affiliation as printed

   Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden

4. Nevena Stajković Aachen Neuroelectronic Interfaces Faculty of Electrical Engineering and IT

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Biological Information Processing IBI-3 Bioelectronics, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany

   Neuroelectronic Interfaces, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and IT, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

5. Claudia Latte Bovio

   Italian Institute of Technology · Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare · University of Naples Federico II

   Affiliation as printed

   Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy

   Tissue Electronics, Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Naples, Italy

6. Chi‐Yuan Yang

   Linköping University

   Affiliation as printed

   Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden

7. Francesca Santoro Aachen Neuroelectronic Interfaces Faculty of Electrical Engineering and IT

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · Italian Institute of Technology · Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Biological Information Processing IBI-3 Bioelectronics, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany

   Neuroelectronic Interfaces, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and IT, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

   Tissue Electronics, Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Naples, Italy

8. Deyu Tu

   Linköping University

   Affiliation as printed

   Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden

9. Simone Fabiano corresponding

   Linköping University

   Affiliation as printed

   Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden. simone.fabiano@liu.se