Rotaxane nanomachines in future molecular electronics

Peiqiao Wu; Bhushan Dharmadhikari; Prabir Patra; Xingguo Xiong

doi:10.1039/d2na00057a

Rotaxane nanomachines in future molecular electronics

Nanoscale Adv. 2022 Jun 24;4(17):3418-3461. doi: 10.1039/d2na00057a. eCollection 2022 Aug 23.

Authors

Peiqiao Wu¹, Bhushan Dharmadhikari², Prabir Patra³, Xingguo Xiong⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering, University of Bridgeport Bridgeport CT USA peiqiaow@my.bridgeport.edu.
² Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Technology, Minnesota State University Mankato MN USA bhushan.dharmadhikari@mnsu.edu.
³ Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of Bridgeport Bridgeport CT USA ppatra@bridgeport.edu.
⁴ Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering, University of Bridgeport Bridgeport CT USA xxiong@bridgeport.edu.

Abstract

As the electronics industry is integrating more and more new molecules to utilize them in logic circuits and memories to achieve ultra-high efficiency and device density, many organic structures emerged as promising candidates either in conjunction with or as an alternative to conventional semiconducting materials such as but not limited to silicon. Owing to rotaxane's mechanically interlocked molecular structure consisting of a dumbbell-shaped molecule threaded through a macrocycle, they could be excellent nanomachines in molecular switches and memory applications. As a nanomachine, the macrocycle of rotaxane can move reversibly between two stations along its axis under external stimuli, resulting in two stable molecular configurations known as "ON" and "OFF" states of the controllable switch with distinct resistance. There are excellent reports on rotaxane's structure, properties, and function relationship and its application to molecular electronics (Ogino, et al., 1984; Wu, et al., 1991; Bissell, et al., 1994; Collier, et al., 1999; Pease, et al., 2001; Chen, et al., 2003; Green, et al., 2007; Jia, et al., 2016). This comprehensive review summarizes [2]rotaxane and its application to molecular electronics. This review sorts the major research work into a multi-level pyramid structure and presents the challenges of [2]rotaxane's application to molecular electronics at three levels in developing molecular circuits and systems. First, we investigate [2]rotaxane's electrical characteristics with different driving methods and discuss the design considerations and roles based on voltage-driven [2]rotaxane switches that promise the best performance and compatibility with existing solid-state circuits. Second, we examine the solutions for integrating [2]rotaxane molecules into circuits and the limitations learned from these devices keep [2]rotaxane active as a molecular switch. Finally, applying a sandwiched crossbar structure and architecture to [2]rotaxane circuits reduces the fabrication difficulty and extends the possibility of reprogrammable [2]rotaxane arrays, especially at a system level, which eventually promotes the further realization of [2]rotaxane circuits.

Publication types

Review