Confinement of ions within graphene oxide membranes enables neuromorphic artificial gustation

Abstract

Introducing neuromorphic computing paradigms into taste-sensing technology will bring unprecedented opportunities for developing new hardware architectures with perceptual intelligence. Constructing the biomimetic gustatory system, however, remains a challenge due to the scarcity of suitable components operating under wet conditions. Here, we report that ion confinement within the layered graphene oxide membranes can be used to develop a memristive device capable of implementing both synaptic function and chemical sensing. The continuum model and ion dynamics characterizations demonstrate that interfacial adsorption–desorption slows down ion transport and leads to memristive behavior. Based on this nanofluidic device, we built an artificial gustatory system in the physiological environment, which can efficiently classify different flavors according to the reservoir computing algorithm. Our results suggest a paradigm for in-sensor computing in liquid.