A radical approach to the design of components for molecular electronics

该项目旨在开发用于未来分子电子技术的高导电性有机金属分子线。金属络合物作为未来电子电路中的元件具有巨大的潜力，提供了传统固态设备无法满足的尺寸功能，并有助于克服“自上而下”扩展的限制。虽然显示电子功能的有机分子是已知的，但它们的性能仍然很差。就像掺杂半导体通过在传导(价)带中放置额外的电子(空穴)来产生更高的电导一样，该项目将使用带有自由基配体的过渡金属有机金属配合物作为创新的主题来设计新的分子组件。

This project aims to develop highly conductive organometallic molecular wires for use in future molecular electronics technology. Metal complexes have immense potential as components in future electronic circuits, offering function on a size impossible to meet in conventional solid-state devices, and helping overcome limits in 'top-down' scaling. Whilst organic molecules that display electronic function are known, their performance remains poor. Just as doping a semiconductor results in higher electrical conductance by placing additional electrons (holes) into the conduction (valence) band, this project will use transition metal organometallic complexes bearing radical ligands as innovative motifs in the design of novel molecular components.