Penn State researchers have developed a method to stabilize OPEs (oligo phenlylene-ethynylene) molecular switches by changing their local chemical environment.

OPEs had previously been shown to switch randomly or with applied electric fields between conductive and non-conductive states. Their potential use as switches in computers and other electronic devices would depend on the ability to control these states. Random switching was reduced with the new method, a step towards control of these single molecules as switches.

Penn State news release