Azobenzene-based optoelectronic transistors for neurohybrid building blocks

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 6760 - 12
• Main Authors: Corrado, Federica, Bruno, Ugo, Prato, Mirko, Carella, Antonio, Criscuolo, Valeria, Massaro, Arianna, Pavone, Michele, Muñoz-García, Ana B., Forti, Stiven, Coletti, Camilla, Bettucci, Ottavia, Santoro, Francesca
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02.11.2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/166/985; 639/166/987; 639/301/1005/1007; 639/301/1005/1009; Azo compounds; Biocompatibility; Biomimetics; Conducting polymers; Devices; Humanities and Social Sciences; Mechanical properties; Memory; Modulus of elasticity; multidisciplinary; Optoelectronic devices; Plastic properties; Plasticity; Platforms; Polymers; Retina; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Synaptic plasticity; Transistors; Visual pathways
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41083-2

Exploiting the light–matter interplay to realize advanced light responsive multimodal platforms is an emerging strategy to engineer bioinspired systems such as optoelectronic synaptic devices. However, existing neuroinspired optoelectronic devices rely on complex processing of hybrid materials which often do not exhibit the required features for biological interfacing such as biocompatibility and low Young’s modulus. Recently, organic photoelectrochemical transistors (OPECTs) have paved the way towards multimodal devices that can better couple to biological systems benefiting from the characteristics of conjugated polymers. Neurohybrid OPECTs can be designed to optimally interface neuronal systems while resembling typical plasticity-driven processes to create more sophisticated integrated architectures between neuron and neuromorphic ends. Here, an innovative photo-switchable PEDOT:PSS was synthesized and successfully integrated into an OPECT. The OPECT device uses an azobenzene-based organic neuro-hybrid building block to mimic the retina’s structure exhibiting the capability to emulate visual pathways. Moreover, dually operating the device with opto- and electrical functions, a light-dependent conditioning and extinction processes were achieved faithful mimicking synaptic neural functions such as short- and long-term plasticity. Designing efficient optoelectronic synaptic devices with advanced light responsive multimodal platforms remains a challenge. Here, the authors report on an organic optoelectronic neuromorphic platform that is based on conductive polymers and light-sensitive molecules that can be used to imitate the retina including visual pathways and typical memory processes of neurons.