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Stretchable Organic Electrochemical Transistors with High Transconductance for Bioelectronic and Neuromorphic
Linfeng Lan1, Baozhong Chen1, Kangxin Shen1
1State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
This study presents a new stretchable organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) platform that achieves high performance for physiological signal detection and neuromorphic computing, even under significant strain. The design overcomes previous limitations, enabling practical applications in flexible electronics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Bioelectronics
- Neuromorphic Engineering
Background:
- Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) show promise for physiological signal detection and neuromorphic computing.
- Practical applications are limited by the trade-off between high transconductance and mechanical stretchability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a stretchable OECT platform that overcomes the limitations of conventional designs.
- To achieve high transconductance and mechanical stretchability simultaneously for advanced bioelectronic and neuromorphic systems.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a stretchable OECT platform using a hybrid electrode, ultrathick PEDOT/PSS active layer, and dual-cation ion gel electrolyte.
- Integrated materials and device-level design for optimizing performance under mechanical deformation.
- Validation through electrocardiogram (ECG) and electromyogram (EMG) measurements, and assessment of neuromorphic and mechano-synaptic behaviors.
Main Results:
- The optimized OECT achieved a transconductance of up to 207.2 mS.
- The device retained approximately 62% of its transconductance under 100% tensile strain.
- Stable signal amplification was demonstrated under realistic, motion-rich conditions, and low-voltage neuromorphic functions were verified even under large deformation.
Conclusions:
- Careful codesign of materials and device geometry can mitigate conventional trade-offs in stretchable OECTs.
- This work provides a practical foundation for future deformable bioelectronic and neuromorphic systems.
- The developed OECT platform enables robust physiological monitoring and low-voltage neuromorphic computing in flexible devices.
