The organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) is
a biosignal transducer known for its high amplification but relatively slow
operation. Here, we demonstrate that the use of an ionic liquid as the
dielectric medium significantly improves the switching speed of a p-type
enhancement-mode OECT, regardless of the gate electrode used. The OECT response
time with the ionic liquid improves up to ca. 41-fold and 46-fold for the
silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) and gold (Au) gates, respectively, compared
with devices gated with the phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution. Notably,
the transistor gain remains uncompromised, and its maximum is reached at lower
voltages compared to those of PBS-gated devices with Ag/AgCl as the gate
electrode. Through ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and etching X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy characterizations, we reveal that the enhanced
bandwidth is associated with the prediffused ionic liquid inside the polymer,
leading to a higher doping level compared to PBS. Using the ionic liquid-gated
OECTs, we successfully detect electrocardiography (ECG) signals, which exhibit
a complete waveform with well-distinguished features and a stable signal
baseline. By integrating nonaqueous electrolytes that enhance the device
bandwidth, we unlock the potential of enhancement-mode OECTs for physiological
signal acquisition and other real-time biosignal monitoring applications.