Polysaccarides-based gels and solid-state electronic devices with memresistive properties: Synergy between polyaniline electrochemistry and biology

Angelica Cifarelli,Salvatore Iannotta,Tatiana Berzina,Antonella Parisini,Victor Erokhin

doi:10.1063/1.4966559

Angelica Cifarelli, Salvatore Iannotta + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4966559

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Abstract

A new architecture of organic memristive device is proposed with a double-layered polyelectrolyte, one of which is a biological system that alone drives the memristive behavior. In the device the Physarum polycephalum was used as living organism, the polyaniline as conducting polymer for the source-drain channel. The key choice for the device functioning was the interposition of a biocompatible solid layer between polyaniline and living organism, that must result both electrochemically inert and able to preserve a good electrical conductivity of the polyaniline, notwithstanding the alkaline pH environment required for the surviving of living being, by avoiding strong acids. Pectin with a high degree of methylation and chitosan were tested as interlayer, but only the first one satisfied the essential requirements. It was demonstrated that only when the living organism was integrated in the device, the current-voltage characteristics showed the hysteretic rectifying trends typical of the memristive devices, which however disappeared if the Physarum polycephalum switched to its sclerotic state. The mould resulted to survive a series of at least three cycles of voltage-current measurements carried out in sequence.

Highlights

The integration of electronic devices and biological objects or even living organisms has recently attracted considerable interest of scientists.[1,2,3,4,5]The emulation of unique abilities of living beings by electronic devices is one of the main goals of bioelectronics
Research frontiers are oriented towards hybrid systems, where biological systems are key components of electronic devices.[11,12,13]
By using chitosan-gel without strong acid, PANI layer switched into the emeraldine base insulating form (≥200 MΩ), even if the acetic acid content was increased up to 30%

Summary

Introduction

The emulation of unique abilities of living beings by electronic devices is one of the main goals of bioelectronics. Research frontiers are oriented towards hybrid systems, where biological systems are key components of electronic devices.[11,12,13] For example, the adaptive ‘learning’ behavior of slime mould Physarum polycephalum (PPM) was described in terms of memristor model;[14,15] the mould resulted to be able to perform complex tasks of the information processing.[16,17,18] Gale et al.[19] observed occasionally that PPM protoplasmic tubes showed hysteretic current-voltage characteristics, consistent with those of the memristive systems

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