A Field-Effect Transistor Based on Cumulenic sp-Carbon Atomic Wires

Abstract

Carbyne and linear carbon structures based on sp-hybridization are attractive targets as the ultimate one-dimensional system (i.e., one-atom in diameter) featuring wide tunability of optical and electronic properties. Two possible structures exist for sp-carbon atomic wires: (a) the polyynes with alternated single-triple bonds and (b) the cumulenes with contiguous double bonds. Theoretical studies predict semiconducting behavior for polyynes, while cumulenes are expected to be metallic. Very limited experimental work, however, has been directed toward investigating the electronic properties of these structures, mostly at the single-molecule or monolayer level. However, sp-carbon atomic wires hold great potential for solution-processed thinfilm electronics, an avenue not exploited to date. Herein, we report the first field-effect transistor (FET) fabricated employing cumulenic sp-carbon atomic wires as a semiconductor material. Our proof-of-concept FET device is easily fabricated by solution drop casting and paves the way for exploiting sp-carbon atomic wires as active electronic materials.

A review of functional linear carbon chains (oligoynes, polyynes, cumulenes) and their applications as molecular wires in molecular electronics and optoelectronics

“…In the next few years, oligoynes are likely to continue to gain momentum in the fields of molecular electronics and optoelectronics discussed above. New applications are eagerly anticipated in topics such as organic field effect transistors, 195 solar cells, 196 thermoelectrics, 86 spintronics 197 and nanomechanical systems, 198 where they are essentially unexplored. Remarkable properties have been theoretically predicted, but not yet realised, for sp-hybridised carbon wires, including negative differential resistance (NDR), 115 rectifying behaviour, 199 nanoelectronic/ spintronic devices, 200,201 hydrogen storage 202 and thermoelectric power generation.…”

Stable and Solution‐Processable Cumulenic sp‐Carbon Wires: A New Paradigm for Organic Electronics

“…The mobility values obtained in this study represent a remarkable improvement of two orders of magnitude with respect to previous field-effect transistors based on [3]Ph. [51] Given the ideality of the devices, mobility values have a reliability factor (r) close to 1. [70] The I on /I off , computed as the ratio between the highest and the lowest drain current values in the transfer characteristic curve, spans from 5 × 10 4 to 10 6 ; this variability is a direct consequence of the wide range of channel lengths (L) that have been tested (Figure S14, Supporting Information).…”

Stability of the polyynic form of C18, C22, C26, and C30nanorings: a challenge tackled by range-separated double-hybrid density functionals

“…Thus, the discovery of C 18 is expected to foster further achievements at the nanoscale for this and related C 4k+2 systems. [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Based on this recent (and important) experimental breakthrough, we thoroughly investigate here a set of C 4k+2 (k = 4-7) systems (see Fig. 1) with modern and accurate theoretical methods.…”