Abstract
This poster describes the fabrication and characterization of a merocyanine self-assembled structure in a layered organic diode. Molecular switches have the potential of being used in a myriad of applications: remote sensing, data storage, etc. Merocyanines are one prominent example of a photochromic molecule, or reversible, optically controlled switch. These systems exhibit the colored, open, planar, and conjugated merocyanine form when illuminated with UV radiation and the colorless, closed, and nonplanar spiropyran form when illuminated with visible radiation. Self- assembled monolayers (SAMs) are biologically inspired systems which can be used in bottom up fabrication of micro and nano-sized devices. Here, a merocyanine system is incorporated into a layered device in a SAM fashion: an indium tin oxide and glass substrate is below linker and spacer silane SAMS, the merocyanine is bonded to the linker silane, and is followed by sequential deposition of N,N'-Bis(naphthalen-1-yl)-N,N'-bis(phenyl)-benzidine (NPB) hole transport material and a silver electrode. Chemical synthesis, device fabrication, and characterization of the molecular systems, surface, and devices are reported. Characterization methods include: nuclear magnetic resonance, UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV photoelectron spectroscopy, and current-voltage traces.
