Organic
thin-film transistors (OTFTs) have attracted intense attention as
promising electronic devices owing to their various applications such
as rollable active-matrix displays, flexible nonvolatile memories,
and radiofrequency identification (RFID) tags. To further broaden
the scope of the application of OTFTs, we focus on the host–guest
chemistry combined with the electronic devices. Extended-gate types
of OTFTs functionalized with artificial receptors were fabricated
to achieve chemical sensing of targets in complete aqueous media.
Organic and inorganic ions (cations and anions), neutral molecules,
and proteins, which are regarded as target analytes in the field of
host–guest chemistry, were electrically detected by artificial
receptors. Molecular recognition phenomena on the extended-gate electrode
were evaluated by several analytical methods such as photoemission
yield spectroscopy in the air, contact angle goniometry, and X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy. Interestingly, the electrical responses
of the OTFTs were highly sensitive to the chemical structures of the
guests. Thus, the OTFTs will facilitate the selective sensing of target
analytes and the understanding of chemical conversions in biological
and environmental systems. Furthermore, such cross-reactive responses
observed in our studies will provide some important insights into
next-generation sensing systems such as OTFT arrays. We strongly believe
that our approach will enable the development of new intriguing sensor
platforms in the field of host–guest chemistry, analytical
chemistry, and organic electronics.