Hybrid nanowire ion-to-electron transducers for integrated bioelectronic circuitry

Abstract

A key task in the emerging field of bioelectronics is the transduction between ionic/protonic and electronic signals at high fidelity. This is a considerable challenge since the two carrier types exhibit intrinsically different physics and are best supported by very different materials types -- electronic signals in inorganic semiconductors and ionic/protonic signals in organic or bio-organic polymers, gels or electrolytes. Here we demonstrate a new class of organic-inorganic transducing interface featuring semiconducting nanowires electrostatically gated using a solid proton-transporting hygroscopic polymer. This model platform allows us to study the basic transducing mechanisms as well as deliver high fidelity signal conversion by tapping into and drawing together the best candidates from traditionally disparate realms of electronic materials research. By combining complementary n- and p-type transducers we demonstrate functional logic with significant potential for scaling towards high-density integrated bioelectronic circuitry.

References in corpus (4)

• Strong tuning of Rashba spin orbit interaction in single InAs nanowires
• Doping incorporation paths in catalyst-free Be-doped GaAs nanowires
• Electron-beam patterning of polymer electrolyte films to make multiple nanoscale gates for nanowire transistors
• The origin of gate hysteresis in p-type Si-doped AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructures

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Integrated bioelectronic proton-gated logic elements utilizing nanoscale patterned Nafion
• p-GaAs nanowire MESFETs with near-thermal limit gating
• Near-thermal limit gating in heavily-doped III-V semiconductor nanowires using polymer electrolytes
• The effect of direct electron beam patterning on the water uptake and ionic conductivity of Nafion thin films