Electrochemical Elucidation of Nano-Functions of Metal Complexes and the Application to Nanodevices

Abstract

Surface modification using redox-active units is one of the important subjects in molecular electrochemistry. During the past two decades, many functional nanostructures with redox activity have been prepared and examined the new functionalities. Based on the solution chemistry of protonresponsive ruthenium complexes containing benzimidazole derivates, I have developed the coordination LbL growth of redox-active Ru complexes toward molecular functional devices. To control the molecular orientation of the redox-active complexes on a transparent conductive ITO surface, tetrapod phosphonic acid anchor groups have been introduced in the rod-shaped ruthenium dinuclear complexes, resulting in the formation of well-ordered surface coordination network structures in a nanometer scale. Electrochemical functions of the nanostructures such as molecular switches, diodes, and memories have been achieved.