Molecular Electronics Electronic Applications of Organic Molecules and Polymers

Abstract

This article reviews some of the ways in which organic molecules and polymers are currently being used in the generation of electronic devices. Polymers can be used both actively and passively in electronic circuits. The traditional use of polymers in a passive sense has been as insulators and more recently we have seen polymers used in an active way both from the point of view of their optical and electrical responses. Organic molecules containing donors and acceptors connected by conjugated structures are capable of exhibiting non-linear optical responses and are likely to play an important role in the production of optoelectronic devices in the future. Similarly, polymers doped so that fast conduction can occur between conjugated electronic structures are likely to play an important role in the fabrication of biosensor devices. Polymeric structures in which ions are dispersed may also be used in the future to produce conducting polymer electrolytes for construction of totally solid state battery systems. Ways in which organic structures are likely to make an impact in terms of development of electronics in the next decade are reviewed and the breadth of the area of molecular electronics summarised.