Organic electrochemical neurons and synapses with ion mediated spiking

Future brain-machine interfaces, prosthetics, and intelligent soft robotics will require integrating artificial neuromorphic devices with biological systems. Due to their poor biocompatibility, circuit complexity, low energy efficiency, and operating principles fundamentally different from the ion signal modulation of biology, traditional Silicon-based neuromorphic implementations have limited bio-integration potential. Here, we report the first organic electrochemical neurons (OECNs) with ion-modulated spiking, based on all-printed complementary organic electrochemical transistors. We demonstrate facile bio-integration of OECNs with Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) to induce lobe closure upon input stimuli. The OECNs can also be integrated with all-printed organic electrochemical synapses (OECSs), exhibiting short-term plasticity with paired-pulse facilitation and long-term plasticity with retention >1000 s, facilitating Hebbian learning. These soft and flexible OECNs operate below 0.6 V and respond to multiple stimuli, defining a new vista for localized artificial neuronal systems possible to integrate with bio-signaling systems of plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates. The integration of artificial neuromorphic devices with biological systems plays a fundamental role for future brain-machine interfaces, prosthetics, and intelligent soft robotics. Harikesh et al. demonstrate all-printed organic electrochemical neurons on Venus flytrap that is controlled to open and close. Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundationKnut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research CouncilEuropean Commission [2016-03979, 2018-06197, 2020-03243]; Swedish Foundation for Strategic ResearchSwedish Foundation for Strategic Research [RMX18-0083, FFL18-0101]; AForsk [18-313, 19-310]; Olle Engkvists Stiftelse [204-0256]; VINNOVAVinnova [2020-05223]; European Research CouncilEuropean Research Council (ERC)European Commission [834677]; European CommissionEuropean CommissionEuropean Commission Joint Research Centre [GA-964677]; Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Functional Materials at Linkoping University [SFO-Mat-LiU 2009-00971]; MultiPark, a strategic research area at Lund University