Soft Organic Electrochemical Neurons for Biochemical Sensing and Delivery

Recent advancements in prosthetics, brain-computer interfaces, and neural therapy require electronics that communicate with biological systems.

However, electronic circuits manipulate 1/0 binary digits, whereas biological neurons function with ion flux-induced neural spikes.

To emulate biological neuron functions in hardware implementations, artificial neurons have been developed using inorganic memristors or transistors, but they have failed to integrate with biotic neurons due to their high operating voltage and inherent inertness towards ion/neurotransmitter-based modulation.

In this regard, organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) distinguish themselves by using ionic species to mediate electron/hole conductance in organic semiconductors, making them the ideal candidate for fabricating organic electrochemical neurons (OECNs) with high biocompatibility and biochemical-mediated functionalities.

So far, OECNs have been demonstrated by the project host (Prof.

Simone Fabiano at Linköping University) with the capability to emulate biorealistic spiking patterns, response to exogenous ions or neurotransmitters for spiking modality alternation, and perform event-based neuron stimulation in animal models.

However, existing OECNs still face two major limitations that impede their integration with biological nerves, including their rigidity and incapable of performing endogenous biochemical sensing and modulation with biotic neurons.

To exploit the advantages of OECNs for bio-integration and bidirectional communication, I will use my expertise in soft materials, devices, and systems to devise OECNs with tissue-like softness, monolithic assembly, and seamless integration with biological nerves.

Specifically, stretchable organic semiconductors and other soft constituent materials will be synthesized and prepared; soft OECTs and OECNs that operate stably under mechanical deformation will be devised; soft biochemical sensing and delivery functions will be incorporated.