A means for controlling single-molecule switches by engineering their design and surrounding environment has been developed by a research team led by scientists at Penn State, Rice University, and the University of Oregon. The research demonstrates that single-molecule switches can be tailored to respond in predictable and stable ways, depending on the direction of the electric field applied to them.

The discovery, which is an essential step in the emerging field of molecular electronics, could further the development of nano-components–as small as molecules or atoms–for use in future generations of computers and other electronic devices.

Source: Penn State Eberly College of Science