Executive Summary : | This project aims to investigate the reversible controlled modulation of conductance by light irradiation in molecular electronics. The development of components for molecular electronics is crucial for miniaturization of electronic devices and is a fundamental aspect of science. The study focuses on the tunability of conductance in organic molecular systems, which can be controlled externally with stimuli such as electrical gating, chemical stimuli, pH, and light irradiation. The project proposes exploring negative-photochromes, dimethyldihyropyrenes, and acene-based dihydroperimidine systems. Initial investigations showed that light-gated modulation of conductance or resistance of organic conducting materials is possible. The project plans to prepare a series of novel pi-conjugated organic systems with photochromic units and investigate their photoswitching and conductance in the two states for molecular electronics applications. The use of negative photochromes in controlling the conductivity of organic materials is less investigated, but has recently gained interest due to their active ON-OFF systems. The project will conduct detailed characterization of synthesized compounds, including switching kinetics, photophysical properties, and I-V characteristics. Electrochemical behavior of the compounds will also be studied. The proposed materials have the potential for developing materials for smart windows, which can reduce internal heat inside a building during the summer and save electrical energy for cooling. |