A molecular scale full adder based on controlled intramolecular electron and energy transfer

Abstract

Electron and electronic energy transfer processes are ways by which different molecules can signal their state from one (the Donor, D) to the other (the Acceptor, A). This transfer is often studied as an intermolecular process but it can also occur intramolecularly, that is between two bridged parts of a bichromophoric molecule. We show that the donor part of a bichromophore molecule can communicate its logic output as input to the acceptor part of the bichromophoric molecule. Such transfer is achieved through electronic energy transfer between the chromophores. We discuss a specific pair, the rhodamine 6G-azulene, for which there is considerable data, but the scheme is general enough to allow a wide choice of D–A pairs. We present preliminary results pertaining to a newly synthesized bichromophoric molecule based on this pair, in which a full adder is implemented, utilizing intramolecular electronic energy transfer between the two moieties.