1 research outputs found
Liquid–Solid Dual-Gate Organic Transistors with Tunable Threshold Voltage for Cell Sensing
Liquid
electrolyte-gated organic field effect transistors and organic electrochemical
transistors have recently emerged as powerful technology platforms
for sensing and simulation of living cells and organisms. For such
applications, the transistors are operated at a gate voltage around
or below 0.3 V because prolonged application of a higher voltage bias
can lead to membrane rupturing and cell death. This constraint often
prevents the operation of the transistors at their maximum transconductance
or most sensitive regime. Here, we exploit a solid–liquid dual-gate
organic transistor structure, where the threshold voltage of the liquid-gated
conduction channel is controlled by an additional gate that is separated
from the channel by a metal-oxide gate dielectric. With this design,
the threshold voltage of the “sensing channel” can be
linearly tuned in a voltage window exceeding 0.4 V. We have demonstrated
that the dual-gate structure enables a much better sensor response
to the detachment of human mesenchymal stem cells. In general, the
capability of tuning the optimal sensing bias will not only improve
the device performance but also broaden the material selection for
cell-based organic bioelectronics