Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Koç University, Istanbul, 34450, Türkiye.
Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Koç University, Istanbul, 34450, Türkiye.
Adv Sci (Weinh). 2024 May;11(18):e2401753. doi: 10.1002/advs.202401753. Epub 2024 Mar 6.
Neuromorphic electronics, inspired by the functions of neurons, have the potential to enable biomimetic communication with cells. Such systems require operation in aqueous environments, generation of sufficient levels of ionic currents for neurostimulation, and plasticity. However, their implementation requires a combination of separate devices, such as sensors, organic synaptic transistors, and stimulation electrodes. Here, a compact neuromorphic synapse that combines photodetection, memory, and neurostimulation functionalities all-in-one is presented. The artificial photoreception is facilitated by a photovoltaic device based on cell-interfacing InP/ZnS quantum dots, which induces photo-faradaic charge-transfer mediated plasticity. The device sends excitatory post-synaptic currents exhibiting paired-pulse facilitation and post-tetanic potentiation to the hippocampal neurons via the biohybrid synapse. The electrophysiological recordings indicate modulation of the probability of action potential firing due to biomimetic temporal summation of excitatory post-synaptic currents. The results pave the way for the development of novel bioinspired neuroprosthetics and soft robotics and highlight the potential of quantum dots for achieving versatile neuromorphic functionality in aqueous environments.
受神经元功能启发的神经形态电子学具有实现与细胞仿生通信的潜力。此类系统需要在水相环境中运行，产生足够水平的离子电流以实现神经刺激和可塑性。然而，其实现需要结合传感器、有机突触晶体管和刺激电极等独立器件。在此，提出了一种紧凑的神经形态突触，它将光电检测、存储和神经刺激功能集于一体。基于细胞界面的 InP/ZnS 量子点的光伏器件促进了人工光感应，从而诱导光法拉第电荷转移介导的可塑性。该器件通过生物混合突触向海马神经元发送表现出成对脉冲易化和强直后增强的兴奋性突触后电流。电生理记录表明，由于兴奋性突触后电流的仿生时间总和，动作电位发射的概率发生了调制。这些结果为开发新型仿生神经假肢和软机器人铺平了道路，并强调了量子点在水相环境中实现多功能神经形态功能的潜力。
