5 - Photo-switchable molecular wire-based organic electronic devices

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Photo-switchable molecular wire-based electronic devices with tailored states of conductance illustrate the enormous possibilities in building logic gates and memory components for futuristic circuits. In the past few years, photo-switchable molecular wire-based organic electronic devices have challenged the worldwide scientific community to miniaturize electronic devices with high temporal and spatial resolutions. A chronological advancement in photo-switchable molecular junctions of self-assembled monolayers (based on single molecules) such as azobenzene, diarylethene, and dihydropyrene with the methods to manufacture photo-switchable molecular devices is presented in this chapter. In the past few decades, different methods for manufacturing nano-gapped electrodes have evolved in the advancement of molecule electronics called “moletronics.” The study of the desired functionalities of photo-switchable molecular wire-based organic electronic devices first requires understanding the charge transportation mechanism of single molecule-based organic electronic devices. This chapter reviews the principles developed for the fabrication of consistent molecular junctions and modifying their intrinsic properties. The device structure is based on a single molecular junction functionality composed of three distinct components: (i) electrodes, (ii) their interfacial contact, and (iii) the functional center. In the subsequent sections, the selection criteria of the electrode materials and the aggregates of other molecular components are discussed. These properties of the molecular electrode interfaces and their relative energy gaps directly impact the charge transportation performance of single molecule-based organic electronic devices. Finally, we present the device modulation strategies and future prospective of moletronics.