Towards Solution Processable Single-Molecule Devices: Controlled Assembly of Carbon Nanotube Electrodes for Molecular Electronics

纳米技术的最终目标之一是能够生产基于单个分子和纳米结构的设备。分子电子学是一种基于单分子的设备，可以克服当前硅基电子设备的技术限制，发挥互补的技术作用。尽管分子尺度电子学有许多潜在的好处，但迄今为止用于器件实现的策略受到各种限制，导致器件性能差、成品率低和通用性有限。这些限制的主要原因是制造所涉及的时间和成本，对分子组装的不良控制，以及缺乏合适的技术来建立分子和电极之间的电接触。因此，仍然存在许多挑战。该项目的主要目标是开发一种通用的方法，用于生产用于光电子和可再生能源应用的高通量溶液可加工单分子纳米器件。我们将利用新的方法将单个分子连接到溶液中的碳纳米电极上，并随后控制如此形成的分子结在表面的组织，以实现器件。不同类别的分子材料，包括有机和无机，显示出有希望的属性，将在设备配置中进行研究。通过接近信息处理的极限，我们提出的战略有可能创造出新一代单分子多功能系统，并大幅降低与器件和电路制造相关的成本。未来的技术将在各种关键领域需要这种类型的设备，包括超高速计算、生物电子学和可再生能源应用。

One of the ultimate goals in nanotechnology is the ability to produce devices based on individual molecules and nanostructures. Molecular electronics, devices that are based on single-molecules, could overcome technological limitations of current silicon-based electronic devices, and fulfill complementary technological roles. Despite the many potential benefits envisioned for molecular-scale electronics, the strategies employed to date for device implementation suffer from various limitations, resulting in devices with poor performance, low yield and limited versatility. Principal among these limitations are the time and cost involved in fabrication, the poor control over the molecular assembly, and the lack of suitable technologies for the establishment of electrical contact between molecules and electrodes. Thus many challenges remain.The primary goal of this project is to develop a universal approach for the production of high-throughput solution processable single-molecule nanodevices, for optoelectronic and renewable energy applications. We will achieve this applying novel methods to interface individual molecules to carbon nano-electrodes in solution, and subsequently controlling the organization of the so formed molecular junctions on surfaces for device implementation. Different classes of molecular materials both organic and inorganic, which display promising attributes, will be investigated in device configurations. By approaching the limits of information processing, the strategy we propose has the potential to create a new generation of single-molecule multifunctional systems, and drastically reduce costs associated with device and circuit fabrication. Future technologies will require devices of this type in a variety of key areas, including ultra-high speed computation, bioelectronics, and for renewable energy applications.