Soft Polymer Iontronics for Neuromorphic Intelligence

Sen Liu; Heng Zhan; Lu-Wei Zhang; Zi-Zhi Wang; Zhou-Yue Lei

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3651-4

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Soft Polymer Iontronics for Neuromorphic Intelligence

Special Topic: Functional Gels | Updated：2026-05-30

- Soft Polymer Iontronics for Neuromorphic Intelligence
- Soft Polymer Iontronics for Neuromorphic Intelligence
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science 2026年44卷第6期页码：1681-1694
- Affiliations：
  
  a.State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Center for Advanced Low-Dimension Materials, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
  b.State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
- Author bio：
  
  leizhouyue@seu.edu.cn
- Funds：
  
  This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 52573019 and 22305033) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2232024A-05).;The authors declare no interest conflict.
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3651-4
  中图分类号：
- 收稿：2025-12-26，
  
  录用：2026-03-10，
  
  网络首发：2026-05-12，
  
  纸质出版：2026-06-05
- Accepted：
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Liu, S.; Zhan, H.; Zhang, L. W.; Wang, Z. Z.; Lei, Z. Y. Soft polymer iontronics for neuromorphic intelligence. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 1681–1694

Sen Liu, Heng Zhan, Lu-Wei Zhang, et al. Soft Polymer Iontronics for Neuromorphic Intelligence[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(6): 1681-1694.
Liu, S.; Zhan, H.; Zhang, L. W.; Wang, Z. Z.; Lei, Z. Y. Soft polymer iontronics for neuromorphic intelligence. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 1681–1694 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3651-4.

Sen Liu, Heng Zhan, Lu-Wei Zhang, et al. Soft Polymer Iontronics for Neuromorphic Intelligence[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(6): 1681-1694. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3651-4.

摘要

This review covers four ion-conductive soft polymer devices-ion-gated transistors (IGTs)

electrochemical random-access memory cells (ECRAMs)

nanofluidic memristors

and soft ion synapses-highlighting their mechanisms

challenges

and integration potential for biomimetic synaptic plasticity.

Abstract

Ion-conducting soft polymers

encompassing hydrogels

ionogels

and organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors

have emerged as distinctive material platforms for neuromorphic electronics

fundamentally diverging from the rigid paradigms of silicon and metal oxides. By enabling volumetric ionic transport and intricate electrochemical interactions within mechanically compliant matrices

these materials offer a biologically inspired route for emulating synaptic plasticity

memory consolidation

and adaptive sensing. With artificial synapses serving as the cornerstone of neuromorphic architectures

this review highlights recent advances in four classes of polymer-based composites: ion-gated transistors

electrochemical random-access memory cells

nanofluidic memristors

and soft ionic synapses. We dissect the physical mechanisms underlying plasticity: electric double-layer gating

volumetric electrochemical doping

nanofluidic confinement

and distinct viscoionic relaxation effects stemming from the macromolecular nature of the host matrix. Emphasis is placed on the interplay between ionic dynamics and polymer structural evolution in shaping the device functionality

energy efficiency

and multimodal responsiveness. We identify the critical challenges in switching speed

hydrolytic stability

and large-scale integration while highlighting emerging opportunities at the interface of biology

soft robotics

and in-sensor computing. Ion-conducting polymers

by uniquely combining brain-like ionic signaling with soft-matter versatility

are expected to play a central role in the next generation of intelligent

bio-integrated systems.

关键词

Keywords

references

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