Orthogonally modulated molecular transport junctions for resettable electronic logic gates

Abstract

Individual molecules have been demonstrated to exhibit promising applications as functional components in the fabrication of computing nanocircuits. Based on their advantage in chemical tailorability, many molecular devices with advanced electronic functions have been developed, which can be further modulated by the introduction of external stimuli. Here, orthogonally modulated molecular transport junctions are achieved via chemically fabricated nanogaps functionalized with dithienylethene units bearing organometallic ruthenium fragments. The addressable and stepwise control of molecular isomerization can be repeatedly and reversibly completed with a judicious use of the orthogonal optical and electrochemical stimuli to reach the controllable switching of conductivity between two distinct states. These photo-/electro-cooperative nanodevices can be applied as resettable electronic logic gates for Boolean computing, such as a two-input OR and a three-input AND-OR. The proof-of-concept of such logic gates demonstrates the possibility to develop multifunctional molecular devices by rational chemical design.

Enabling Light Work in Helical Self-Assembly for Dynamic Amplification of Chirality with Photoreversibility

“…Particularly, perylene bisimides 18,19 and naphthalene diimides 20,21 are exploited as fluorescent building blocks in construction of these thermodynamically helical nanostructures. Photochromic diarylethenes (DAEs) have also attracted much attention since their chemical and physical properties are reversibly controllable with photo-irradiation [22][23][24] , especially for their functional switching characteristics [25][26][27][28][29][30][31] , such as the photoresponsive helical gel 13,32 and light-driven self-assembly 33,34 . However, the dynamic photoreversibility with modulation of amplified chirality, morphology as well as fluorescence between two thermally stable states are still remaining challenges.…”

Photoresponsive Molecular Memory Films Composed of Sequentially Assembled Heterolayers Containing Ruthenium Complexes

“…[5][6][7] The particular advantages of redox-activem etal complexes are:1 )atunable potential energy by carefuls election of metal and ligands, 2) ap ossible change between different oxidation states, for example, neutral,c ationic, or anionic via redox reactions, and 3) aw ell-defined geometry aroundt he central metal ion upon molecular assembly on the surface. In order to develop molecular devices from redox-active metal complexes,t he fundamental electronic elementss uch as molecular wires, molecular diodes, andm olecular memory should be constructed prior to assembly into the molecular devices.…”

Installing Logic Gates to Multiresponsive Supramolecular Hydrogel Co-assembled from Phenylalanine Amphiphile and Bis(pyridinyl) Derivative

“…Logic gates [1][2][3][4][5][6] can be constructed in multiresponsive supramolecular gels 7-17 system where two chemical input signals can be used to control the sol-gel transition. [18][19][20][21][22] Particularly, hydrogels materials with the ability to function under aqueous conditions are attractive because of their potential biological applications.…”