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A Silk Fibroin Bio-Transient Solution Processable Memristor
Jason Yong1,2,3, Basem Hassan4,5,6, You Liang4,5,6
1Centre for Neural Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia. jasony1@student.unimelb.edu.au.
Scientific Reports
|November 9, 2017
Summary
This study introduces eco-friendly, biodegradable memristive devices using silk fibroin. These biocompatible electronics offer tunable lifetimes and minimal environmental impact, paving the way for sustainable applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biotechnology
- Electronics Engineering
Background:
- Conventional electronics rely on toxic materials, restricting use in sensitive environments.
- Current bio-integrated devices require complex encapsulation due to material incompatibility and toxicity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop fully resorbable, high-density, biocompatible, and environmentally friendly memristive crossbar arrays.
- To investigate the relationship between cation oxidation states, electrode materials, and conductive filament formation in silk fibroin.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of memristive crossbar arrays using solution-processable silk fibroin.
- Characterization of resistive switching behavior, including switching ratio and device lifetime.
- Cytotoxicity assessment using lactate dehydrogenase assays.
- Investigation of conductive filament formation using various electrode materials and an electro-thermal model.
Main Results:
- Achieved a high bipolar resistive switching ratio of 10^4.
- Demonstrated programmable device lifetime with graceful biodegradation.
- Lactate dehydrogenase assays confirmed no cytotoxicity.
- Experimental data and electro-thermal model showed strong correlation in predicting memristive switching.
Conclusions:
- Silk fibroin is a viable material for creating sustainable, biocompatible memristive devices.
- The developed devices minimize environmental and biological impact.
- Understanding conductive filament formation is key to optimizing memristor performance with different electrodes.
