Developing novel memristive systems aims to implement key principles of biological neuron assemblies - plasticity, adaptivity, and self-organization - into artificial devices for parallel, energy-efficient computing. Solid-state memristive devices, such as crossbar arrays and percolated nanoparticle (NP) networks, already demonstrate these properties. However, closer similarity to neural networks is expected from liquid-state systems, including polymer melts, which remain largely unexplored. Here, the resistive switching in silver/poly(ethylene glycol) (Ag/PEG) nanofluids, prepared by depositing gas-aggregated Ag NPs into PEGs of varying molecular mass, is investigated. These systems form long-range conductive NP bridges with reconfigurable resistance states in response to an electric field. The zeta-potential of Ag NPs and molecular mobility of PEG determine the prevalence of low resistance (ohmic) state, high resistance states (poor conductance) or intermediate transition states governed by space-charge-limited conduction or electron tunneling. The occurrence of these states is given by the interparticle gaps, which are determined by the conformation of PEG molecules adsorbed on the NPs. It is presented, for the first time, an equivalent circuit model for the Ag/PEG system. These findings pave the way to adopt polymer melts as matrices for neuromorphic engineering and bio-inspired electronics.

Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und prüfung Unter den Eichen 87 12205 Berlin Germany

Chair for Multicomponent Materials Department of Material Science Faculty of Engineering Kiel University Kaiserstraße 2 D 24143 Kiel Germany

ELI Beamlines Facility Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC Za Radnicí 835 Dolni Brezany 25241 Czech Republic

Faculty of Mathematics and Physics Department of Macromolecular Physics Charles University 5 Holešovičkách 2 Prague 18000 Czech Republic

Institut für Chemie Technische Universität Berlin Straße des 17 Juni 135 10623 Berlin Germany

Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry CAS Heyrovského nám 2 Prague 16206 Czech Republic

Kiel Nano Surface and Interface Science KiNSIS Kiel University Christian Albrechts Platz 4 24118 Kiel Germany

Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology Felix Hausdorff Str 2 17489 Greifswald Germany

Lublin University of Technology Department of Electrical Engineering and Superconductivity Technologies Nadbystrzycka St 38A Lublin 20 618 Poland

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