Optoelectronic Synaptic Transistors Based on Solution-Processable Organic Semiconductors and CsPbCl₃ Quantum Dots for Visual Nociceptor Simulation and Neuromorphic Computing

Increasing attention has been paid to organic electronics emulating the characteristics and functions of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS) in living organisms, which has important implications for exploring electronics from the underlying architecture to emulate biological sensory synapses/neurons and develop brain-like chips. However, the vast majority of current research has been limited to biomimetic electronics that implement the functionality of a single PNS or CNS. Here, we develop solution-processed optoelectronic synaptic transistors (OSTs) that simultaneously simulate the visual nociceptor perception functions of the PNS as well as the memorizing and computing functions of the CNS, where CsPbCl₃ quantum dots (QDs) and organic semiconductor serve as the photoactive layer and channel layer, respectively. Benefiting from the distinctive absorption characteristic of CsPbCl₃ QDs, the OSTs illustrate decent ultraviolet light selectivity, which can be utilized to mimic visual nociceptor behavior triggered by ultraviolet irradiation for pain perception. Furthermore, the OSTs successfully achieve 1000 conductance states, which also confirms the outstanding conductivity regulation ability of the OSTs and their potential in pattern recognition based on artificial neural networks. This work provides a pathway for the development of future artificial vision and neuromorphic computing using OSTs based on solution-processable organic semiconductors and QDs.