New N-type materials for Next-generation BioelecTronics

Purpose and goal:

Polymer semiconductors with high ion-coupled charge transporting ability enable the fabrication of organic electrochemical transistor based implantable, flexible, and wearable bioelectronics. This project gave rationally designed synthesis routs to n-type polymer semiconductors, and following research plan among structure-property relationship study, electrochemical transistor performance study, integrated complementary OECT circuit fabrication, electrophysiology and artificial nerve simulation applications.

Expected results and effects:

We developed a serials of n-type polymer semiconductors, based on new doping methods, like polymer doping, catalyzed doping, and doping with carbon nanotubes. Theese methods significantly improved the ion-elecrton coupled transporting performance and charge transport capability of polymer semiconductors, lead to their novel electrical characteristics.

Related results were published in Nature, Nature Materials, Nature Communications, Advanced Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Advanced Electronics Materials journals. Approach and implementation:

We developed the green solvent-based n-type conductive polymer ink and applied it to n-type electrochemical transistors, and developed all-printed logic circuits. We have greatly improved the efficiency of chemical doping of n-type polymer semiconductors through the method of transition metal catalyzed doping, and proposed and verified the doping mechanism of hydride dopants.

We developed the first artificial neurons based on electrochemical transistors, and applied them to the behavior regulation of plant and animal.