Compounds that exhibit large amplitude motion upon electrochemical and/or photochemical control can be synthesized and immobilized onto solid supports. Such systems are attached onto various solid supports by functionalizing the compounds with thiols (for gold immobilization) and alkoxysilanes (for silicon immobilization). When these systems are placed between electrodes, they can serve as an on/off switch, based on conductivity or no conductivity of a series of compounds with respect to each other. This area of research is funded by the Center of Functional Engineered and Nano Architectonics (FENA) and is Theme 1 of five FENA themes. For more information, visit: www.fena.org.

The aim of Theme 1 is to create new self-assembled and self-organized atomic and molecular functional structures. Theme 1 focuses on new materials with novel properties required for device functionality, interconnects to nanoscale devices and interfaces for monolithic, heterogeneous integration. Of prime importance are new nano-structured materials and functional molecular materials that involve both inorganic and organic materials, which assemble themselves into structures that exhibit spatial control at nanometer length scales. Some of these materials, such as the nanowires and molecular switches, can be integrated with ultimate CMOS systems in a seamless manner; the integration will be achieved through a combinations of supra-atomic and supramolecular synthesis and nanosubstructure engineering.