Artificial Synapses Based on Bovine Milk Biopolymer Electric-Double-Layer Transistors

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Neuroscience
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Growing demand for bio- and eco-friendly artificial synapses.
• Need for advanced materials in neuromorphic computing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel synaptic transistor using natural bovine-milk-based biocompatible polymers.
• To establish a method for forming an electrical double layer (EDL) membrane using a milk-based polymer.
• To evaluate the synaptic functions implemented by the milk-based polymer-EDL membrane.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an EDL capacitor using a milk-based polymer and indium-tin-oxide (ITO) electrodes.
• Evaluation of frequency-dependent capacitance.
• Integration of the milk-based polymer-EDL membrane into electronic synaptic transistors.
• Demonstration of synaptic functions like paired-pulse facilitation and dynamic filtering.

Main Results:

• A significantly large capacitance (1.48 μF/cm² at 1 Hz) was achieved due to the proton charge of the bovine-milk-based polymer.
• The milk-based polymer-EDL exhibited superior performance compared to conventional insulating materials like SiO₂.
• Successful implementation of synaptic functions including paired-pulse facilitation, dynamic filtering, and logic operations.

Conclusions:

• The proposed milk-based biocompatible polymer-EDL membrane offers a promising route for creating eco-friendly and biodegradable artificial synaptic systems.
• This research opens new avenues for sustainable materials in neuromorphic engineering.
• The developed material demonstrates potential for next-generation artificial intelligence hardware.