Integrated circuits are present in all electronic devices, and enable signal amplification, modulation, and relay. Nature uses another type of circuits composed of channels in a cell membrane, which regulate and amplify transport of ions, not electrons and holes as is done in electronic systems. Here we show an abiotic ionic circuit that is inspired by concepts from electronics and biology. The circuit amplifies small ionic signals into ionic outputs, and its operation mimics the electronic Darlington amplifier composed of transistors. The individual transistors are pores equipped with three terminals including a gate that is able to enrich or deplete ions in the pore. The circuits we report function at gate voltages < 1 V, respond to sub-nA gate currents, and offer ion current amplification with a gain up to ~300. Ionic amplifiers are a logical step toward improving chemical and biochemical sensing, separations and amplification, among others.

集成电路存在于所有电子设备中，可实现信号放大、调制和中继。大自然使用另一种由细胞膜中的通道组成的电路，它调节和放大离子的传输，而不是电子系统中的电子和空穴的传输。在这里，我们展示了一种受电子学和生物学概念启发的非生物离子电路。该电路将小离子信号放大为离子输出，其操作模仿由晶体管组成的电子达林顿放大器。各个晶体管是配备有三个端子的孔，其中包括能够富集或耗尽孔中离子的栅极。我们报告的电路在栅极电压 < 1 V 下工作，响应亚纳安栅极电流，并提供增益高达约 300 的离子电流放大。离子放大器是改善化学和生化传感、分离和放大等的合理步骤。