Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 6, 2026
10:03
Conformable Wearable Electrodes: From Fabrication to Electrophysiological Assessment
Published on: July 22, 2022
5.0K
Stretchable and conformable synapse memristors for wearable and implantable electronics
Mihua Yang1, Xiaoli Zhao, Qingxin Tang
1Key Laboratory of UV Light Emitting Materials and Technology under Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, P. R. China. tangqx@nenu.edu.cn ycliu@nenu.edu.cn.
Nanoscale
|August 29, 2018
Summary
Researchers developed stretchable and conformable synapse memristors using thermoplastic polyurethanes and silver nanoparticles. These devices mimic biological synapses and are suitable for wearable and implantable artificial intelligence computers.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Neuroscience
- Computer Engineering
Background:
- Wearable and implantable neuromorphic computing systems require synapse memristors that are stretchable, conformable, and adhere to curved surfaces.
- Existing synapse memristors are primarily limited to rigid substrates, hindering their application in flexible electronics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a stretchable and conformable memristor with essential synaptic functions.
- To enable the development of imperceptible artificial intelligence hardware for wearable and implantable applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a memristor using highly elastic silver nanoparticle-doped thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU:Ag NPs) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).
- Characterization of synaptic functions including potentiation/depression, short-term plasticity (STP), long-term plasticity (LTP), and learning-forgetting-relearning behavior.
- Evaluation of device performance under strain and on curved surfaces.
Main Results:
- The developed memristor exhibits fundamental synaptic functions and operates effectively at up to 60% strain.
- The device demonstrates excellent conformability to curved surfaces.
- Resistance switching is attributed to conductive filament (CF) formation from Ag nanoparticle cluster movement under an enhanced electric field.
Conclusions:
- A feasible strategy for creating stretchable and conformable synaptic devices has been presented.
- The developed memristor technology is promising for next-generation artificial intelligence computers, particularly for wearable and implantable systems.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Conformity
48.2K
Conformity is the change in a person’s behavior to go along with the group, even if that person does not agree with the group.
48.2K
02:47The Synapse
133.5K
Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.
133.5K
02:20Conformations of Butane
18.1K
Unlike ethane and propane that have only two major conformations, butane has more than two conformers. The staggered form of butane in which the bulky methyl groups on the two carbons are placed on opposite sides, that is, at a dihedral angle of 180°, is the lowest energy, most stable form — called the anti conformer. This conformation is stabilized due to the absence of steric repulsion between the largely spaced out methyl groups. The other two staggered conformations are...
18.1K
01:28Electrical Synapses
10.9K
Electrical synapses found in all nervous systems play important and unique roles. In these synapses, the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes are very close together (3.5 nm) and are actually physically connected by channel proteins forming gap junctions.
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...
10.9K
01:26Chemical Synapses
11.8K
Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
11.8K
01:26Chemical Synapses
4.6K
Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
4.6K