Biomimetic Nanofluidic Synapse with Programmable DNA Ion Gating for Neuromorphic Sensing and Computing

Abstract Biological synapses process information through coupled neurotransmitter and ion fluxes, while conventional electron-based solid-state devices struggle to replicate this chemoelectrical signaling mechanism. Herein, we develop a biomimetic nanofluidic synapse designed for precise and programmable chemical gating. The platform integrates programmable DNA nanochannel (DN) arrays within a phospholipid multilayer assembled in situ on a robust anodic aluminum oxide membrane (termed DPAM), forming a bioinspired ion-gating interface. Crucially, DNA sequence programming enables plug-and-play adaptability for diverse neurotransmitters, while tuning DN dimensions customizes ion transport kinetics. As a prototypical example, glutamate-gated N-methyl-d-aspartate-like signaling is demonstrated to regulate transmembrane Ca2+ flux, successfully emulating fundamental synaptic plasticity. Furthermore, by integrating these synaptic units into an artificial neural network, we demonstrate a chemically encoded handwritten-digit recognition task with an accuracy of 97.1%. This work establishes a versatile platform for neuromorphic systems allow directly processing biochemical signals, holding great promise for brain-machine interfaces and intelligent biosensing.