Researchers Use Nanowires to Link Functional Molecules for Single-Molecule Electronics

Scientists are progressing in the direction of "single-molecule electronics," when electronic circuits in smart phones, computers and audio players may get reduced in size.

Studies reveal that an innovative technique has been developed to generate and attach minute wires that will link at the molecular level. Details of the study are reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Yuji Okawa and co-workers stated that single-molecule electronics has been made possible by linking active molecules with conductive nanowires. They have discovered how to build conductive nanowires at selected positions and how to guarantee chemical bonding between active molecules and the nanowires. Researchers have tried hard to manufacture tiny nanowires for use in molecular circuits.

The scientists revealed a technique that initiates development of a molecule chain with a scanning tunneling microscope’s tip. The nanowires bond chemically with other components of the molecules present in the circuit. This approach is termed as chemical soldering. The wiring technique can link memory bits, transistors, and molecular switches. The scientists claim that this approach will help in the development of cost-effective, high-performance and more eco-friendly equipment when compared to traditional silicon-based equipment.