Electrochemical Immobilization of a Benzylic Film through the Reduction of Benzyl Halide Derivatives: Deposition onto Highly Ordered Pyrolytic Graphite

The reactivity of electrogenerated benzyl radicals at carbon surfaces was examined through the cathodic reduction of the corresponding bromide derivatives. 4-Nitrobenzyl bromide and benzyl bromide were reduced in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surfaces. Electroproduced films were examined using electrochemistry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Experiments show the formation of strongly adherent deposits and the occurrence of electrografting processes. They are based on radical generation and the reaction of the radical with the substrate. As expected, the thickness of the organic film increases with deposition time but the deposit displays a lower compactness than previously reported for the electroreduction of aryl diazonium salts. Interestingly for benzyl derivatives, the reduction potential required for the electrografting could be rendered much more positive by simply using an iodide-type supporting electrolyte

Anthracene and Anthracene:C₆₀ Adduct-Terminated Monolayers Covalently Bound to Hydrogen-Terminated Silicon Surfaces

Anthracene monolayers covalently bound to hydrogen-terminated n-type Si(100) surfaces have been prepared from the attachment of an amine-substituted anthracene derivative to a preassembled acid-terminated alkyl monolayer using carbodiimide coupling. The anthracene headgroups were then used as anchoring sites for C60 following [4 + 2] Diels–Alder cycloaddition. After cycloaddition of C60 on the anthracene layer, the surface roughness determined by atomic force microscopy increased from 3.0 ± 0.7 to 5.0 ± 1.0 Å and the morphology showed uniformly distributed globular features a few nanometers high. Cyclic voltammograms of the anthracene-modified monolayer in the dark were characterized by an ill-defined reversible system at E°′ = −2.05 V vs saturated calomel electrode (SCE), which compares well with the value determined for the anthracene derivative in solution on a platinum electrode. Furthermore, the surface coverage of attached anthracene units was estimated to be (4.6 ± 0.3) × 10–10 mol cm–2, which is consistent with a densely packed monolayer. In contrast, the voltammogram of the C60-modified monolayer did not show multiple reversible one-electron transfers characteristic of the anthracene:C60 adduct. Instead, one irreversible cathodic peak at −1.50 V followed by a reversible system at −2.15 V was observed. These electrochemical differences between surface-confined and dissolved species are assigned to reduced charge transfer kinetics between the underlying semiconductor and bound C60 within a certain potential range. This hypothesis is consistent with the flat band potential Efb value of −0.80 ± 0.05 V vs SCE, determined from capacitance measurements. Moreover, scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) measurements in feedback mode provided clear evidence for the electroactive properties of bound C60. The SECM approach curves suggest that both the anthracene and anthracene:C60 layers displayed good conductivity, presumably by electron hopping between adjacent redox sites

Design of Robust Binary Film onto Carbon Surface Using Diazonium Electrochemistry

The electroreduction of functionalized aryldiazonium salts combined with a protection–deprotection method was evaluated for the fabrication of organized mixed layers covalently bound onto carbon substrates. The first modification consists of the grafting of a protected 4-((triisopropylsilyl)ethynyl)benzene layer onto the carbon surface on which the introduction of a second functional group is possible without altering the first grafted functional group. After deprotection, we obtained an ultrathin robust layer presenting high densities of both active ethynylbenzene groups (available for “click” chemistry) and the second functional group. The strategy was successfully demonstrated using azidomethylferrocene to react with ethynyl moieties in the binary film by “click” chemistry, and NO2-phenyl as the second functional group. Two possible modification pathways with different orderings of the various steps were considered to show the influence and importance of the protection–deprotection process on the final surface obtained. Using mild conditions for the grafting of the second layer maintains a concentration of active ethynyl groups similar to that obtained for a one-component monolayer while achieving a high surface concentration of the second modifier. Considering the wide range of functional aryldiazonium salts that could be electrodeposited onto carbon surfaces and the versatility and specificity of the “click” chemistry, this approach appears very promising for the preparation of mixed layers in well-controlled conditions without altering the reactivity of either functional group

Spatially-Resolved Thermometry of Filamentary Nanoscale Hot Spots in TiO₂ Resistive Random Access Memories to Address Device Variability

Resistive random access memories (RRAM), based on the formation and rupture of conductive nanoscale filaments, have attracted increased attention for application in neuromorphic and in-memory computing. However, this technology is, in part, limited by its variability, which originates from the stochastic formation and extreme heating of its nanoscale filaments. In this study, we used scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) to assess the effect of filament-induced heat spreading on the surface of metal oxide RRAMs with different device designs. We evaluate the variability of TiO2 RRAM devices with area sizes of 2 × 2 and 5 × 5 μm2. Electrical characterization shows that the variability indicated by the standard deviation of the forming voltage is ∼2 times larger for 5 × 5 μm2 devices than for the 2 × 2 μm2 ones. Further knowledge on the reason for this variability is gained through the SThM thermal maps. These maps show that for 2 × 2 μm2 devices the formation of one filament, i.e., hot spot at the device surface, happens reliably at the same location, while the filament location varies for the 5 × 5 μm2 devices. The thermal information, combined with the electrical, interfacial, and geometric characteristics of the device, provides additional insights into the operation and variability of RRAMs. This work suggests thermal engineering and characterization routes to optimize the efficiency and reliability of these devices