Intrinsically stretchable tribotronic mechanoplastic artificial synapse

Stretchable synaptic devices with adaptability to elastic deformation, sensing environmental stimuli, and unique information processing functions are of great significance for the development of the next generation of artificial nervous systems. Here, an intrinsically stretchable tribotronic mechanoplastic artificial synapse (STMAS) is proposed, which is integrated by a triboelectric nanogenerator and an electrolyte-gated transistor with ion-gel as dielectric layer. The STMAS can be modulated by the triboelectric potential induced by mechanical stimulation without the need to apply an external gate voltage, achieving an active mechanical tuning of synaptic plasticity such as excitatory postsynaptic current, paired-pulse facilitation, short-term plasticity, and long-term plasticity. The STMAS exhibits stable synaptic plasticity under 0–50% stretcher strain in parallel and vertical to channel directions, respectively. Furthermore, the International Morse code triggered by mechanical signals has been successfully mimicked. This work has achieved an intrinsically stretchable tribotronic artificial synapse with mechanically tuned synaptic behavior, which will help promote the development of artificial nervous systems and expand the applications of artificial synapses in intelligent robotics, artificial limbs and human–machine interaction.