Non-volatile memories will play a decisive role in the next generation of digital technology. Flash memories are currently the key player in the field, yet they fail to meet the commercial demands of scalability and endurance. Resistive memory devices, and in particular memories based on low-cost, solution-processable and chemically tunable organic materials, are promising alternatives explored by the industry. However, to date, they have been lacking the performance and mechanistic understanding required for commercial translation. Here we report a resistive memory device based on a spin-coated active layer of a transition-metal complex, which shows high reproducibility (∼350 devices), fast switching (≤30 ns), excellent endurance (∼10 cycles), stability (>10 s) and scalability (down to ∼60 nm). In situ Raman and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy alongside spectroelectrochemistry and quantum chemical calculations demonstrate that the redox state of the ligands determines the switching states of the device whereas the counterions control the hysteresis. This insight may accelerate the technological deployment of organic resistive memories.

Design of an efficient new catalyst that can mimic the enzymatic pathway for catalytic dehydrogenation of liquid fuels like alcohols is described in this report. The catalyst is a nickel(II) complex of 2,6-bis(phenylazo)pyridine ligand (L), which possesses the above requisite with excellent catalytic efficiencies for controlled dehydrogenation of alcohols using ligand-based redox couple. Mechanistic studies supported by density functional theory calculations revealed that the catalytic cycle involves hydrogen atom transfer via quantum mechanical tunneling with significant k/k isotope effect of 12.2 ± 0.1 at 300 K. A hydrogenated intermediate compound, [NiCl(HL)], is isolated and characterized. The results are promising in the context of design of cheap and efficient earth-abundant metal catalyst for alcohol oxidation and hydrogen storage.

Electroprotic storage materials, though invaluable in energy-related research, are scanty among non-natural compounds. Herein, we report a zinc(II) complex of the ligand 2,6-bis(phenylazo)pyridine (L), which acts as a multiple electron and proton reservoir during catalytic dehydrogenation of alcohols to aldehydes/ketones. The redox-inactive metal ion Zn(II) serves as an oxophilic Lewis acid, while the ligand behaves as efficient storage of electron and proton. Synthesis, X-ray structure, and spectral characterizations of the catalyst, ZnLCl (1a) along with the two hydrogenated complexes of 1a, ZnHLCl (1b), and ZnHLCl (1c) are reported. It has been argued that the reversible azo-hydrazo redox couple of 1a controls aerobic dehydrogenation of alcohols. Hydrogenated complexes are hyper-reactive and quantitatively reduce O and para-benzoquinone to HO and para-hydroquinone, respectively. Plausible mechanistic pathways for alcohol oxidation are discussed based on controlled experiments, isotope labeling, and spectral analysis of intermediates.

Two examples of a rare class of di-radical azo-anion complexes of 2-(arylazo) pyridine with Ir(III) carrier are introduced. Their electronic structures have been elucidated using a host of physical methods that include X-ray crystallography, cyclic voltammetry, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and density functional theory. Room temperature magnetic moments of these are consistent with two nearly non-interacting azo-anion radicals. These displayed rich electrochemical properties consisting of six numbers of reversible and successive one electron CV-waves. Redox processes occur entirely at the coordinated ligands without affecting metal redox state. Apart from reporting their chemical characterization, I-V characteristics of these complexes in film state are investigated using sandwich-type devices comprising of a thin film of 100-125 nm thickness placed between two gold-plated ITO electrodes. These showed memory switching properties covering a useful voltage range with a reasonable ON/OFF ratio and also are suitable for RAM/ROM applications. I-V characteristics of two similar complexes of Rh and Cr with identical ligand environment and electronic structure are also referred for developing an insight into the memory switching ability of Ir- and Rh- complexes on the basis of comparative analysis of responses of the respective systems. In a nutshell, thorough analysis of voltage driven redox dynamics and corresponding solid and solution state current responses of all the systems are attempted and there from an unexplored class of switching devices are systematically introduced.

Designing of a white light emitting diode based on rare earth metal free intrinsic Zn-MOF by fabricating a suitable device.