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Updated: Jun 22, 2025

Interfacing Microfluidics with Microelectrode Arrays for Studying Neuronal Communication and Axonal Signal Propagation
Published on: December 8, 2018
A nanofluidic spiking synapse
Yi-Tong Xu1, Si-Yuan Yu1, Zheng Li1
1State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
Abstract:
Currently, the nanofluidic synapse can only perform basic neuromorphic pulse patterns. One immediate problem that needs to be addressed to further its capability of brain-like computing is the realization of a nanofluidic spiking device. Here, we report the use of a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate membrane to achieve bionic ionic current-induced spiking. In addition to the simulation of various electrical pulse patterns, our synapse could produce transmembrane ionic current-induced spiking, which is highly analogous to biological action potentials with similar phases and excitability. Moreover, the spiking properties could be modulated by ions and neurochemicals. We expect that this work could contribute to biomimetic spiking computing in solution.
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