Building large-scale unimolecular scaffolding for electronic devices

The fabrication of a future generation (opto)electronic devices based on molecular components and materials will require careful chemical design, coupled with assembly methods that permit precise spatial orientation arrangement the functional molecules within device structures. Although unimolecular electronics are already laboratory reality, variation in molecule junction from measurement to is considerable. Consequently, controlling geometry at molecule–metal contacts long-standing largely unresolved challenge. Here, strategy fabricate uniform junctions distributed regular pattern reported. A monolayer zinc metalloporphyrins, peripherally functionalised by bulky dendrons, used provide well-defined array binding sites distribution. dendrons then photochemically cross-linked form robust base-layer. Parallel, uniformly-spaced structures subsequently assembled these through layer-by-layer (LbL) strategy. This LbL proceeds coordination an α,ω-amino oligo(phenylene)ethynylene (OPE) ions metalloporphyrin template structure extended alternating self-assembled layers (cross-linked) porphyrin OPE. interaction between zinc(II) bifunctional OPE wire ensures high degree registry good electrical contact arrays offer fine control over composition. • next-generation orientation. Uniform parallel key target for research development. Metalloporphyrin alternately deposited into densely packed array. Facile electron transfer conductance. Varying depending desired application.