Abstract
Based on Moore's Law, every 18 months the number of transistors that can be placed per unit area on a microchip will double. However, by the year 2017 this trend will cease to exist due to the size restrictions imposed by silicon, the main component of microchips; this has led to the birth of molecular electronics. An organic molecule that has been extensively tested for its potential in molecular electronics is DNA. However, recent research has shown that DNA cannot function as a molecular wire due to its fragile nature. This is why Raj Rathore's group is developing organic molecular wires based on robust macromolecular structures. The specific assembly designed to study the wire behavior consists of a triad which is made up of polyfluorenes as an electron donor site, a spacer unit (or wire) made of polyphenylenes, and an electron donor‐acceptor complexation site composed of hexamethylbenzene (HMB). A chloranil molecule—an electron acceptor—complexes with the HMB of the triad, and when a laser is shined on HMB/CA complex, a hole is introduced in the molecular wire which will travel 30 Å to the polyfluorene donor, via an electron hopping mechanism. The Marquette University High School SMART Team (Students Modeling A Research Topic) created a physical model of this molecular wire using 3D printing technology. Supported by a grant from NIH‐NCRR‐SEPA.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
