Ferroelectric self-assembled molecular materials showing both rectifying and switchable conductivity

Abstract

Combining dipolar and semiconducting functionality in a single molecule yields a ferroelectrically switchable conductivity.

Large-extended 2D supramolecular network of dipoles with parallel arrangement on a Si(111)–B surface

“…The interest for monolayered or ultra-thin ferroelectric materials containing highly dipolar molecules has significantly grown over the last two decades, this was highly motivated by the vigorous and recurrent needs for miniaturized devices. 1,2,3,4 Such materials show very appealing properties that could be exploited in a broad range of applications such as random access memories, capacitors, sensors, and microactuators. 5,6,7,8 In this context, monolayered supramolecular networks based on the adsorption of tailored dipolar molecules on surfaces are of increasing interests due to their abilities of being perfectly organized over a substantially large spatial domain.…”

Suppressing depolarization by tail substitution in an organic supramolecular ferroelectric

“…A recently discovered class of amidebased dipolar columnar discotic liquid crystals offers the intriguing opportunity to tune key ferroelectric parameters by side chain modification 15 as well as to introduce semiconducting properties by changing the p-conjugated core. 16,17 Yet, despite having a great potential for various applications, ferroelectric liquid crystals lacked interest from a ferro/piezo/pyroelectric device perspective due to typically high operating temperatures, modest remnant polarization and/or negligible polarization retention. [18][19][20] The archetypical amide-based liquid crystalline ferroelectric is trialkylbenzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA), see Fig.…”

Negative piezoelectric effect in an organic supramolecular ferroelectric

“…[31][32][33] The overall performance of thin-film BTA capacitor devices is comparable to devices based on P(VDF-TrFE), additionally offering some advantages like lower processing temperatures, easy chemical tuning and a wider operational temperature window. 31,34,35 In this study we present interferometrically measured converse piezoelectric response in solution-processed thin-film BTA capacitor devices. Using density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we explain the origin of the observed anomalous negative piezoelectric effect in BTA from the microscopic and macroscopic perspective.…”