Mimicking efferent nerves using a graphdiyne-based artificial synapse with multiple ion diffusion dynamics

TLDR

A graphdiyne‑based artificial synapse (GAS) with intrinsic short‑term plasticity has been proposed to mimic biological signal transmission. The GAS is intended as a synaptic element for bioinspired peripheral nervous systems in soft electronics, neurorobotics, and brain–computer interface biohybrid systems. It processes signals from multiple pre‑neurons in parallel, enabling dynamic logic and spatiotemporal rules, and its artificial efferent nerve links the GAS to artificial muscles to integrate pre‑neuron inputs and produce motor neuron outputs, facilitating multi‑sensory feedback and event response. The GAS delivers millivolt‑level impulse responses with femtowatt consumption, surpassing biological levels, and remains thermally stable up to 353 K and environmentally stable at relative humidity up to 35 %.

Abstract

Abstract A graphdiyne-based artificial synapse (GAS), exhibiting intrinsic short-term plasticity, has been proposed to mimic biological signal transmission behavior. The impulse response of the GAS has been reduced to several millivolts with competitive femtowatt-level consumption, exceeding the biological level by orders of magnitude. Most importantly, the GAS is capable of parallelly processing signals transmitted from multiple pre-neurons and therefore realizing dynamic logic and spatiotemporal rules. It is also found that the GAS is thermally stable (at 353 K) and environmentally stable (in a relative humidity up to 35%). Our artificial efferent nerve, connecting the GAS with artificial muscles, has been demonstrated to complete the information integration of pre-neurons and the information output of motor neurons, which is advantageous for coalescing multiple sensory feedbacks and reacting to events. Our synaptic element has potential applications in bioinspired peripheral nervous systems of soft electronics, neurorobotics, and biohybrid systems of brain–computer interfaces.