CAREER: Ionic Transistor Devices for Sensing and Controlled Actuation - An Integrated Research, Teaching and Community Outreach Program

该学院早期职业发展（CAREER）计划奖专注于开发一种新型活性材料，该材料是通过整合生物衍生膜和导电聚合物膜的离子特性而形成的。 该项目的科学目标是开发一种混合膜，该混合膜可以响应低功率电信号或低浓度化学触发，并使用环境化学梯度进行机电工作。这种混合膜，被称为生物衍生离子晶体管（BIT）的功能作为传感和驱动系统中的基本单元。 将制造包括导电聚合物和生物衍生膜（具有蛋白质的BLM）的BIT装置，使用耦合模型表征并优化为稳健的晶体管。本研究提案的科学目标将通过解决以下问题来实现：（i）限制条件是什么（ii）输出、门控信号和输入之间的关系（静态，动态），（iii）开环和闭环操作（传递函数、灵敏度、干扰抑制、稳定性和性能限制）和（iv）制造约束和可缩放性。如果成功，这个CAREER研究项目将导致一个强大的实时传感阵列的开发，该阵列使用BIT设备构建，可以使用商业上可用的蛋白质检测化学和生物电信号，并可应用于医疗保健、国防和国土安全。该项目还将导致使用BIT设备的化学机械特性开发人造肌肉。该职业奖将使PI能够在聚合物机电材料领域建立一个跨学科的研究计划，促进妇女参与工程，通过主动学习将这项研究工作纳入弗吉尼亚联邦大学的本科和研究生课程，并通过与弗吉尼亚科学博物馆的持续合作，向联邦的公众和学校学生传播这一领域的知识，弗吉尼亚州的里士满。

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award focuses on the development of a novel active material formed from integrating the ionic properties of a bio-derived membrane and a conducting polymer membrane. The scientific goal of this project is the development of a hybrid membrane that can respond to low power electrical signal or low concentration chemical trigger and perform electromechanical work using ambient chemical gradients. This hybrid membrane, referred to as Bio-derived Ionic Transistor (BIT) functions as the fundamental unit in sensing and actuation systems. A BIT device comprising a conducting polymer and a bio-derived membrane (BLM with proteins) will be fabricated, characterized using a coupled model and optimized into a robust transistor. The scientific goal of this research proposal will be achieved by addressing the following questions: What is/are the (i) limiting conditions (geometrical, chemoelectrical, mechanical) for ion transport, (ii) relationship between the output, gating signal and input (static, dynamic), (iii) open-loop and closed-loop operation (transfer function, sensitivity, disturbance rejection, stability and performance limitation) and (iv) fabrication constraints and scalability.If successful, this CAREER research project will lead to the development of a robust real-time sensing array constructed using BIT devices that can detect chemical and bioelectrical signals using commercially available proteins and be applicable in healthcare, national defense and homeland security. This project will also lead to the development of an artificial muscle using the chemomechanical properties of the BIT device. This CAREER award will enable the PI to build an inter-disciplinary research program in Polymer Mechatronic Materials, promote participation of women in engineering, integrate this research work in to undergraduate and graduate curriculum at Virginia Commonwealth University through Active Learning and disseminate knowledge in this field to the general public and school students in the Commonwealth through continuous engagements with the Science Museum of Virginia at Richmond, Virginia.