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Will intelligent implants through chitosan based proton transistor soon be possible?

Material scientists from Washington University and Waterloo University now developed a transistor that uses positive charged protons instead of negatively charged electrons for stringently logical switching processes. It is hoped that in the future the transistor will provide a better interface between living systems or biological processes and electronic nanoelements. The signal processing and the process action of living organisms activated by protons and electrically charged ions could be measured by the transistor. Maybe one day the transistor will even be able to control the mentioned functions by generating proton currents.

As for now, this new switching module is a prototype, a so called field-effect transistor that is only 5 µm wide (about 20 times thinner than a human hair).

An ultrathin film of maleic-chitosan nanofibres is the base of the proton transistor. The fibres were crosslinked with an isolated base of silicon dioxide.

The biopolymer chitosan can bind water molecules and acts as a bridge on which protons can move from one contact to another. By inducing a voltage at the transistor gate, water molecules form a string that enables the proton transfer from molecule to molecule.

In doing so, the proton mobility is about ~4.9x10-3cm2V-1s-1. In contrast to electrons the proton movement is 300 times slower due to the 1800 times higher weight of the protons. But a great switching rate wasn’t the urgent quest of the scientists. Rather, the implementation of intelligent implants was focused.

During the research the scientists managed to change the proton current and nearly switched it completely off. The more negative the voltage, the higher the proton flux and vice versa.

So far, the transistor cannot be used in human bodies yet, since it contains silicon that isn’t compatible with living systems.

But further research is planned in the future. If there will be positive results, than biocompatible proton chips that monitor human body functions or control the function of prostheses are imaginable within the next 10 years.

The invention of Marco Rolandi and his scientist group was introduced in the professional journal Nature Communications in September 2011 for the first time.


Sources:

Nature Communications
Rolandi M. et al.: A polysaccaride bioprotonic field-effect transitor

Idealab
Hoekenga C.: New Transistor Is A Step Towards Dierct Communication Between Machines And Living Beings

Biologischer Transistor bewegt Protonen

Spektrum.de
Biologischer Transistor bewegt Protonen

Wissenschaft aktuell
Löfken, J. O.: Transistor aus Garnelen

Proton-based transistor could let machines communicate with living thingsProton-based transistor could let machines communicate with living things

implants, proton transistor, intelligent

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