Intermolecular charge transfer enhances the performance of molecular rectifiers

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Molecular-scale diodes made from self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) could complement silicon-based technologies with smaller, cheaper, and more versatile devices. However, advancement of this emerging technology is limited by insufficient electronic performance exhibited by the molecular current rectifiers. We overcome this barrier by exploiting the charge-transfer state that results from co-assembling SAMs of molecules with strong electron donor and acceptor termini. We obtain a substantial enhancement in current rectification, which correlates with the degree of charge transfer, as confirmed by several complementary techniques. These findings provide a previously enexplored method for manipulating the properties of molecular electronic devices by exploiting donor/acceptor interactions. They also serve as a model test platform for the study of doping mechanisms in organic systems. Our devices have the potential for fast widespread adoption due to their low-cost processing and self-assembly onto silicon substrates, which could allow seamless integration with current technologies.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbereabq7224
JournalScience advances
Volume8
Issue number31
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2022
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 35930649