Organic neuromorphic electronics for sensorimotor integration and learning in robotics.

In living organisms, sensory and motor processes are distributed, locally merged, and capable of forming dynamic sensorimotor associations. We introduce a simple and efficient organic neuromorphic circuit for local sensorimotor merging and processing on a robot that is placed in a maze. While the robot is exposed to external environmental stimuli, visuomotor associations are formed on the adaptable neuromorphic circuit. With this on-chip sensorimotor integration, the robot learns to follow a path to the exit of a maze, while being guided by visually indicated paths. The ease of processability of organic neuromorphic electronics and their unconventional form factors, in combination with education-purpose robotics, showcase a promising approach of an affordable, versatile, and readily accessible platform for exploring, designing, and evaluating behavioral intelligence through decentralized sensorimotor integration.

Current-Driven Organic Electrochemical Transistors for Monitoring Cell Layer Integrity with Enhanced Sensitivity.

In this progress report an overview is given on the use of the organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) as a biosensor for impedance sensing of cell layers. The transient OECT current can be used to detect changes in the impedance of the cell layer, as shown by Jimison et al. To circumvent the application of a high gate bias and preventing electrolysis of the electrolyte, in case of small impedance variations, an alternative measuring technique based on an OECT in a current-driven configuration is developed. The ion-sensitivity is larger than 1200 mV V-1 dec-1 at low operating voltage. It can be even further enhanced using an OECT based complementary amplifier, which consists of a p-type and an n-type OECT connected in series, as known from digital electronics. The monitoring of cell layer integrity and irreversible disruption of barrier function with the current-driven OECT is demonstrated for an epithelial Caco-2 cell layer, showing the enhanced ion-sensitivity as compared to the standard OECT configuration. As a state-of-the-art application of the current-driven OECT, the in situ monitoring of reversible tight junction modulation under the effect of drug additives, like poly-l-lysine, is discussed. This shows its potential for in vitro and even in vivo toxicological and drug delivery studies.

Multiscale real time and high sensitivity ion detection with complementary organic electrochemical transistors amplifier.

Ions are ubiquitous biological regulators playing a key role for vital processes in animals and plants. The combined detection of ion concentration and real-time monitoring of small variations with respect to the resting conditions is a multiscale functionality providing important information on health states. This multiscale functionality is still an open challenge for current ion sensing approaches. Here we show multiscale real-time and high-sensitivity ion detection with complementary organic electrochemical transistors amplifiers. The ion-sensing amplifier integrates in the same device both selective ion-to-electron transduction and local signal amplification demonstrating a sensitivity larger than 2300 mV V-1 dec-1, which overcomes the fundamental limit. It provides both ion detection over a range of five orders of magnitude and real-time monitoring of variations two orders of magnitude lower than the detected concentration, viz. multiscale ion detection. The approach is generally applicable to several transistor technologies and opens opportunities for multifunctional enhanced bioelectronics.

Probing the Impedance of a Biological Tissue with PEDOT:PSS-Coated Metal Electrodes: Effect of Electrode Size on Sensing Efficiency.

Electrodes coated with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) have been employed to measure the integrity of cellular barriers. However, a systematic experimental study of the correlation between tissue integrity and impedance of the sensing device has not yet been conducted. Using impedance spectroscopy, how the impedance ratio of the biological tissue to the recording device affects the recording ability of the latter is investigated. PEDOT:PSS-coated electrodes of various dimensions are employed and the effect of their size to their sensing efficiency is examined. The biotic/abiotic ensemble is modeled with a simple equivalent circuit and an analytical expression of the total impedance as a function of frequency is extracted. The results reveal a critical impedance ratio of the biological tissue to the sensor which allows for efficient sensing of the tissue integrity. This work provides the ground rules for improved impedance-based biosensors with optimized sensitivity.

The Parent Cyclopentadienyltin Cation, Its Toluene Adduct, and the Quadruple-Decker [Sn3 Cp4 ]2.

Truly cationic metallocenes with the parent cyclopentadienyl ligand are so far unknown for the Group 14 elements. Herein we report on an almost "naked" [SnCp]+ cation with the weakly coordinating [Al{OC(CF3 )3 }4 ]- and [{(F3 C)3 CO}3 Al-F-Al{OC(CF3 )3 }3 ]- anions. [SnCp][Al{OC(CF3 )3 }4 ] was used to prepare the first main-group quadruple-decker cation [Sn3 Cp4 ]2+ again as the [Al{OC(CF3 )3 }4 ]- salt. Additionally, the toluene adduct [CpSn(C7 H8 )][Al{OC(CF3 )3 }4 ] was obtained.