Published in Chemistry World, 12 May 2011
Scientists in Japan and Switzerland have demonstrated how to wire up single molecules with conductive nanowires. The technique, called chemical soldering, is a big step towards single molecule electronics.
Molecules have long been proposed as alternative circuit components. In 1974, IBM researchers Mark Ratner and Arieh Aviram described how a single molecule could pass current in just one direction, thereby acting as a diode, and since then various other components, such as switches and transistors, have been put forward. In theory, single molecule electronics would be smaller than their silicon counterparts, and may require less power. […]
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