University of Illinois researchers have innovated in molecular electronics by creating stable, shape-persistent molecules with controlled conductance, using a new synthesis method, paving the way for more reliable miniaturized electronic devices.
As electronic devices keep shrinking, physical size limitations are starting to hinder the trend of doubling transistor density on silicon-based microchips every two years, as predicted by Moore’s law. Molecular electronics, which involves using single molecules as the fundamental components of electronic devices, presents a promising avenue for further miniaturizing small-scale electronics.
Devices that utilize molecular electronics require precise control over the flow of electrical current. However, the dynamic nature of these single molecule components affects device performance and impacts reproducibility.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report a unique strategy for controlling molecular conductance by using molecules with rigid backbones—such as ladder-type molecules, known as being shape-persistent. Further, they have demonstrated a straightforward “one-pot” method for synthesizing such molecules. The principles were then applied to the synthesis of a butterfly-like molecule, showing the strategy’s generality for controlling molecular conductance.
This new research, led by Charles Schroeder, the James Economy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, along with postdoc Xiaolin Liu and graduate student Hao Yang, was recently published in the journal Nature Chemistry.
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