Nanodevices for Energy-Efficient Electronics

Scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and University College Cork fabricated nanodevices for energy-efficient electronics. Switching efficiency was improved obtaining ten times higher results by changing just one carbon atom in the molecules of the device. The possible applications of this device would be providing new ways to avoid overheating in laptops, tablets and mobile phones and also to aid in electrical stimulation of tissue repair for wound healing.

This paper was featured in the February edition of Nature Nanotechnology and the research team was led by Dr. Damien Thompson and Prof. Chris Nijhus, who created the devices based on molecules that act as electrical valves or diode rectifiers. Their results have shown that by adding one carbon atom, the device's performance increases by a factor of ten and they hope to create a wide range of new components for electronic devices.

One interesting finding by these researchers is that molecules with an odd number of carbon atoms stand straighter than the ones with an even number. A tightly packed assemble of straight molecules packed together, were aligned on metal electrode surfaces and were found to be free of defects.

Dr. Thompson explains that their study shows how Van der Waals effects present in every molecular scale device can be turned to optimize the performance of the device by creating tighter seals between molecules. The molecular device is illustrated in the following image.

Reference:
- Nerngchamning N., Yuan L., Qi D,. Li J., Thompson D., Nijhus C.A. The role of van der Waals forces in the performance of molecular diodes. Nature Nanotechnology, 2013. DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2012.238.