Applications of Organic Conductors: Molecular Electronics

Abstract

Organic materials are used in the existing electronics industries mainly for passive purposes: insulating and structural support materials. There are, however, exceptions, such as photoresists, liquid crystal displays, and electrocopying. One of the most famous molecular devices is the Aviram-Ratner molecular rectifier using a molecule of the type D-s-A. The assembling process is called molecular engineering or supramolecular engineering, depending on the species that attracts attention. There are several ways to assemble molecules, among which the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique has been considered to be most promising. The LB films of charge-transfer complexes of BO (bisethylenedioxytetrathiafulvalene)-CnTCNQ are investigated and one of them shows a metallic temperature dependence of conductivity. The absorption band associated with the switching unit of the molecule is determined by its molecular structure, which means that the wavelength of the control light is changed by chemical modification of the switching unit.