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As electronic technology continues to move forward, scientists are increasingly paying attention to the field of molecular electronics.Molecular electronics is the research and application of molecules as electronic components, which makes the production of electronic components no longer rely on traditional bulk materials.This interdisciplinary research field combines physics, chemistry and materials science and finds possible ways to continue Moore's law.
The idea of reducing electronic components to a single molecule size allows us to break out of traditional technology limitations and seek more efficient and low-cost methods for using materials.
An important branch of molecular electronics is single-molecular electronics, a field that uses small sets of single molecules or several single molecules as electronic components.This extreme miniaturization technique is one of the goals of reducing circuits, and in the dimensional range where quantum mechanics effects begin to significantly affect, the transmission of individual electrons significantly changes the properties of the system compared to conventional electronic components.
However, the practical challenge of connecting a single molecule to an electrode is very difficult.Current lithography techniques cannot produce electrode spacing small enough to avoid short circuits.So, scientists adopted different strategies, such as using break-and-joining technology, which is to stretch the thin electrode to break to form a molecular-sized gap.In addition, the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) can also be used to contact molecules adhered to the metal substrate.
The latest experiments by scientists show that the atomic geometry adjacent to the gold surface may affect the reliability of the connection, making repeatability a major challenge.
In addition to the issue of atomic spacing, it is also crucial to choose the right material.Research shows that the conjugated π system of graphite and spherical molecules can make electrical contact with multiple atoms at the same time, thereby improving the performance of single-molecular electrons.This makes it possible to transition from metal electrodes to semiconductor electrodes, further expanding its application potential.For example, indium arsenide-based nanowires can work with wider bandgap material embedded parts, which helps signal propagation between molecules and electrodes.
However, the process of connecting circuits and bulk electrodes with purely molecular-based systems has repeatedly hit a wall.The bigger challenge is that many experiments need to be conducted at low temperatures near absolute zero, and such energy consumption is obviously not neglected.
The History of Molecular Electronics
The concept of molecular electronics was first proposed by German physicist Arthur von Hippel in 1956. The scientist advocated that the method of building electronic components from the molecular and atomic levels should be adopted rather than relying on prefabricated materials.This concept is called molecular engineering.However, the milestone breakthrough that really led to the rise of this field was the theoretical articles of Aivilam and Ratner in 1974, who proposed a special molecular structure with only one-way currents, similar to the functions of semiconductor diodes. This theory inspired the subsequent decades of research.
Potential of Molecular Materials
Conductive polymers offer a completely new option compared to conventional materials.Although their mechanical properties differ from commercial materials, the high conductivity of conductive polymers lays the foundation for their application.The electronic properties of these polymers can be adjusted through organic synthesis methods to affect their processing performance, thereby injecting new vitality into future circuit design.
At present, stable and repetitive conductive polymers such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and polyaniline are gradually being widely used, especially in antistatic materials and transparent conductive layers.
With the introduction of nanostructured conductive polymers, this field ushered in new development opportunities.Recent supramolecular chemistry methods offer new opportunities for the development of next-generation molecular electronics, and experiments by researchers inserting cationic molecules into columnar molecules show that current density has increased by two orders of magnitude, showing the huge potential of molecular electronics in the future. and the prospects for continuous expansion.
With the advancement of technology, scientists still face various challenges when finding reliable molecular electrode connection solutions. How will this affect future electronic technologies?
