Translation between ionic currents and measurable electronic signals is essential for the integration of natural systems and artificial bioelectronic devices. Chloride ions (Cl−) play a pivotal role in bioelectricity, and they are involved in several brain pathologies, including epilepsy and disorders of the autistic spectra, as well as cancer and birth defects. As such, controlling [Cl−] in solution can actively influence biochemical processes and can be used in bioelectronic therapies. Here, we demonstrate a bioelectronic device that uses Ag/AgCl contacts to control [Cl−] in solution by electronic means. We do so by exploiting the potential dependence of the reversible reaction, Ag + Cl− ↔ AgCl + e−, at the contact/solution interface, which is at the basis of the well-known Ag/AgCl reference electrode. In short, a negative potential on the Ag/AgCl contact transfers Cl− from the contact to the solution with increasing [Cl−] and vice versa. With this strategy, we demonstrate precise spatiotemporal control of [Cl−] in solution that can be used to affect physiological processes that are dependent on [Cl−]. As proof-of-concept, we use [Cl−] control to influence the membrane voltage on human pluripotent stem cells.

中文翻译：

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使用 Ag/AgCl 触点对氯离子和浓度进行生物电子控制

离子电流和可测量的电子信号之间的转换对于自然系统和人工生物电子设备的集成至关重要。氯离子 (Cl−) 在生物电中起着关键作用，它们参与多种脑部疾病，包括癫痫和自闭症谱系障碍，以及癌症和出生缺陷。因此，控制溶液中的 [Cl−] 可以积极影响生化过程，并可用于生物电子疗法。在这里，我们展示了一种生物电子设备，该设备使用 Ag/AgCl 触点通过电子手段控制溶液中的 [Cl-]。我们通过利用可逆反应的电位依赖性来做到这一点，Ag + Cl− ↔ AgCl + e− 在接触/溶液界面，这是众所周知的 Ag/AgCl 参比电极的基础。简而言之，Ag/AgCl 触点上的负电位将 Cl- 从触点转移到溶液中，[Cl-] 增加，反之亦然。通过这种策略，我们展示了对溶液中 [Cl−] 的精确时空控制，可用于影响依赖于 [Cl−] 的生理过程。作为概念验证，我们使用 [Cl−] 控制来影响人类多能干细胞的膜电压。