Bio‐inspired Two‐dimensional Nanofluidic Ionic Transistor for Neuromorphic Signal Processing

Abstract

Voltage‐gated ion channels prevalent in neurons play important roles in generating action potential and information transmission by responding to transmembrane potential. Fabricating bio‐inspired ionic transistors with ions as charge carriers will be crucial for realizing neuro‐inspired devices and brain‐liking computing. Here, we reported a two‐dimensional nanofluidic ionic transistor based on an MXene membrane with sub‐1 nm interlayer channels. By applying a gating voltage on the MXene nanofluidic, a transmembrane potential will be generated to active the ionic transistor, which is similar to the transmembrane potential of neuron cells and can be effectively regulated by changing membrane parameters, e.g., thickness, composition, and interlayer spacing. For the symmetric MXene nanofluidic, a high on/off ratio of ~2000 can be achieved by forming an ionic depletion or accumulation zone, contingent on the sign of the gating potential. An asymmetric PET/MXene‐composited nanofluidic transitioned the ionic transistor from ambipolar to unipolar, resulting in a more sensitive gate voltage characteristic with a low subthreshold swing of 560 mV/decade. Furthermore, ionic logic gate circuits, including the "NOT", "NAND", and "NOR" gate, were implemented for neuromorphic signal processing successfully, which provides a promising pathway towards highly parallel, low energy consumption, and ion‐based brain‐like computing.

Light-Powered Directional Ion Transport via PFN-Br/MoS2 Heterogeneous Membranes: Band Alignment and Activation Energy Barrier Engineering

“…In recent years, voltage-regulated ion transport has attracted great attention in developing ionic logical circuits, offering a promising pathway toward highly efficient information processing with low energy consumption of the human brain. 65 For instance, subnanometer nanofluidic channels based on conductive graphene, 66 MXene, 67 and carbon nanotubes 68 have been proposed. Notably, the conjugated backbone of PFN-Br renders it potentially electrically conductive.…”

Iontronic Sensing Based on Confined Ion Transport

“…By bridging the gap in the diverse disciplines of biology, chemistry, and physics, iontronic sensing has paved the way for such groundbreaking advancements. 23,24 Therefore, in this Review, we focus on iontronic sensing on the basis of confined ion transport as it gives rise to a variety of novel structures 25 and introduces new mechanisms and phenomena that pave the way for innovative applications. 26 This Review, covering the period from 2020 to 2023, is organized into five sections: The first section provides a thorough introduction to iontronic sensing.…”

“…Several previous reviews summarized the progress of nanopore sensing from the view of electrochemical confinement, nanopipette and its applications. − Herein, we would like to summarize the recent progress from the viewpoint of iontronic sensing due its great potential for applications in complex environments and achieving complex functions. − An illustrative example of this potential lies in the realization of neuromorphic functions and sensing, which was previously unattainable without the integration of iontronic sensing. By bridging the gap in the diverse disciplines of biology, chemistry, and physics, iontronic sensing has paved the way for such groundbreaking advancements. , Therefore, in this Review, we focus on iontronic sensing on the basis of confined ion transport as it gives rise to a variety of novel structures and introduces new mechanisms and phenomena that pave the way for innovative applications …”

Memristive Characteristics in an Asymmetrically Charged Nanochannel

“…As the fourth fundamental circuit element besides resistor, capacitor, and inductor, , the memristor shows its significance for brain-inspired neuromorphic computing − and biomachine interfaces − with high efficiency and low energy consumption. Recently, electrolyte ionic memristors emerged and showed promising features of emulating voltage-gated ionic neural functions in water systems. − …”