A Biocompatible Supercapacitor Diode with Enhanced Rectification Capability toward Ion/Electron-Coupling Logic Operations.

ABSTRACT

The main challenge faced by the forthcoming human-computer interaction is that biological systems and electronic devices adopt two different information carriers, i.e., ions and electrons, respectively. To bridge the gap between these two systems, developing ion/electron-coupling devices for logic operation is a feasible and effective approach. Accordingly, herein a supercapacitor-based ionic diode (CAPode) that takes electrochemically amorphized molybdenum oxide as the working electrode is developed. Benefiting from its unique size and charge dual ion-sieving effects, the molybdenum oxide electrode exhibits a record-high rectification ratio of 136, which is over 10 times higher than those of reported systems. It also delivers an ultrahigh specific capacitance of 448 F g⁻1 and an excellent cycling stability of up to 20 000 cycles, greatly outperforming those of previous works. These excellent rectification capability and electrochemical performances allow the as-built CAPode to work well in AND and OR logic gates, validating great potential in ion/electron-coupling logic operations. More attractively, the superior biocompatibilities of molybdenum oxide and relevant constituent materials enable the constructed CAPode to be applied as bioelectronics without regard to biosafety, paving a new way toward forthcoming human-computer interaction.