FUNMOLDEV - Functional Molecular Nanostructures for Optoelectronic Devices
This is a collaborative research project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Innovation and Economy (Mineco) for developing hierarchical routes for the synthesis of complex covalent molecular nanostructures with potential functionality as active optoelectronic components, such as pn junctions of quantum dots. Furthermore, FunMolDev targeted a new generation of nanodevices with disruptive impact in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). For this purpose, we developed methods for connecting active molecular components to electrical leads and further networking them into a percolating mesh as a proof of their scalability into devices. FunMolDev also aimed at bridging such highly interdisciplinary fundamental research into higher level of technology by developing alternative routes for the synthesis and transfer of CMNs to insulting and gateable surfaces, which to date remain big challenges to the scientific community. FunMolDev combineed the work of six Spanish research groups in Galicia (CiQUS at the University of Santiago de Compostela), Euskadi (the CFM, Centro de Física de Materiales - CSIC-UPV, and CIC nanoGUNE), Aragón (the ICMA, Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón – CSIC-UZ), and Catalunya (the ICN2, Instituto Catalán de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología).
Linking organic molecules by covalent bonds into extended solids tends to generate amorphous, disordered materials. Novel strategies that combine organic synthesis and surface physics, the so-called 'on-surface synthesis', have emerged to produce ordered 0D, 1D, 2D, or 3D structures by directing the chemical reactions on the surface itself. Even when Carbon Based Molecular Nanostructures (CMNs) produced in this way have the prospect of generating functional devices, the technology is still at is infancy.
Technological applications require controllable, scalable, as well as cost-efficient techniques before implementation into industrially manufactured devices becomes available. This is the reason of our project FunMolDev. The multidisciplinary research proposed is based upon a preceding Excellence proposal (SuperHybrid) whose main goal was to develop new routes for design, creation, tuneability, and study of covalent CMNs on metal surfaces, including the identification of their emerging functionality. Supported by that wealth of knowledge, FunMolDev combines aspects of organic synthesis, surface physics (epitaxial growth, electronic structure) and chemistry (reactions at surfaces), engineering (transfer methods, instrumentation, device fabrication), optics, mesoscopic transport and atomistic simulations towards the achievement of a goal: the development of a singular optoelectronic device.
To accomplish it we will explore alternative routes for the synthesis and transfer of CMNs to insulting and gateable surfaces, which to date remain big challenges to the scientific community. Moreover, we will examine the transference plausibility of selected CMN structures generated on metals onto supports allowing gating, such as ferroelectrics, prone to become devices with new functionalities. Overcoming these obstacles is only possible through a collective work such as the consortium we propose here, composed by groups with different experience in a broad variety of complementary methods and encompassing the necessary knowledge and menpower to face it.
Our group will participate in this coordinated Project by developing hierarchical strategies to on-surface synthetize functionalized graphene nanoribbons (GNR) with optically active components embedded. Following results from the previous project, we will synthetize GNR with monodispersed quantum dots and/or molecular components inside, which will provide the desired functionality to the carbon structure. The systems will be arranged and connected in molecular meshes which will favor their utilization in future devices by allowing charge percolation. Our expertise in tunneling/force spectroscopy will be applied in these systems to validate the performance in model, single- molecule test experiments.
Furthermore, the optoelectronic performance will be tested by detecting the light emission processes occurring during tunneling or electron transport, or by coupling external light sources to the units using the focusing effect of a tip-enhance mechanisms.
The challenge here and in the overall coordinated project is the work on insulating substrates since, only in this case, the foreseen performance can be ensured. We will cooperate with FunMolDev to transfer the hybrid GNRs to insulating surfaces, using strategies of surface science. The challenge of building and testing a model optoelectronic device will orient our work along these research.
This project is funded by MAT2016-78293-C6-1-R/MCIN/ AEI /10.13039/501100011033/ y por FEDER Una manera de hacer Europa
