Controlled ion transport through ion channels of cell membranes regulates signal transduction processes in biological systems and has also inspired the thriving development of ionic electronics (ionotronics or iontronics) and biocomputing. However, for constructing highly integrated ionic electronic circuits, the integration of natural membrane‐spanning ion channel proteins or artificial nanomembrane‐based ionic diodes into planar chips is still challenging due to the vertically arranged architecture of conventional nanomembrane‐based artificial ionic diodes. Here, a new design of ionic diode is reported, which allows chip‐scale integration of ionotronics, based on horizontally aligned nanochannels made from multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The rectification of ion transport through the MWCNT nanochannels is enabled by decoration of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes on the channel entrances. Advanced ionic electronic circuits including ionic logic gates, ionic current rectifiers, and ionic bipolar junction transistors (IBJT) are demonstrated on planar nanofluidic chips by stacking a series of ionic diodes fabricated from the same bundles of MWCNTs. The horizontal arrangement and facile chip‐scale fabrication of the MWCNT ionic diodes may enable new designs of complex but monolithic ionotronic systems. The MWCNT ionic diode may also prove to be an excellent platform for investigation of electrokinetic ion transport in 1D carbon materials.

中文翻译：

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基于水平排列碳纳米管的离子电学

通过细胞膜离子通道的受控离子传输调节了生物系统中的信号转导过程，也激发了离子电子学（ionotronics或iontronics）和生物计算的蓬勃发展。但是，对于构建高度集成的离子电子电路，由于传统的基于纳米膜的人工离子二极管的垂直排列结构，将天然跨膜离子通道蛋白或基于人工纳米膜的离子二极管集成到平面芯片中仍然是一项挑战。在这里，据报道，一种新的离子二极管设计可以基于多壁碳纳米管（MWCNT）制成的水平排列的纳米通道，实现离子电子器件的芯片级集成。通过在通道入口处装饰带相反电荷的聚电解质，可以使通过MWCNT纳米通道的离子传输整流。通过堆叠由同一束MWCNT制造的一系列离子二极管，在平面纳米流体芯片上展示了包括离子逻辑门，离子电流整流器和离子双极结晶体管（IBJT）在内的先进离子电子电路。MWCNT离子二极管的水平排列和便捷的芯片级制造可以实现复杂但整体的电离电子系统的新设计。MWCNT离子二极管也可能是研究一维碳材料中电动离子迁移的极好平台。通过堆叠由相同的MWCNT束制造的一系列离子二极管，在平面纳米流体芯片上展示了IbA和离子双极结晶体管（IBJT）。MWCNT离子二极管的水平排列和便捷的芯片级制造可以实现复杂但整体的电离电子系统的新设计。MWCNT离子二极管也可能是研究一维碳材料中电动离子迁移的极好平台。通过堆叠由相同的MWCNT束制造的一系列离子二极管，在平面纳米流体芯片上展示了IbA和离子双极结晶体管（IBJT）。MWCNT离子二极管的水平排列和便捷的芯片级制造可以实现复杂但整体的电离电子系统的新设计。MWCNT离子二极管也可能是研究一维碳材料中电动离子迁移的极佳平台。