Electro-optical characterization of nanoGUMBOS

Abstract

Molecular electronics, where nanoscale organic species are utilized as active electronic components, offers a promising approach towards ultimate miniaturization and integration of hybrid electronic materials (HEMs) with traditional silicon based complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS) technology. Toward this end, fundamental research studies to understand the electronic and optical properties of these molecules are of paramount importance. In this work, conductive probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM) and Raman spectroscopy have been performed on ionic liquid based unique organic nanoparticles derived from a Group of Uniform Materials Based on Organic Salts (GUMBOS). Aptly named as nanoGUMBOS, the material investigated in this report is Rhodamine6G tetraphenylborate ([R6G][TPB]) as has been synthesized by a room temperature facile metathesis reaction between Rhodamine 6G chloride (R6GCl) and sodium tetraphenylborate (NaTPB) followed by an ultrasonication-assisted, additive-free, re-precipitation reaction. To the best of our knowledge, the results reported herein are first-time evidence of electrical performance exhibited by [R6G][TPB] nanoGUMBOS. In conjunction with the supportive results of Raman spectra, the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics obtained are indicative of the potential incorporation of this unique compound in hybrid electronics with respect to potential applications in optoelectronics and chemical sensing. © 2014 The Korean Institute of Metals and Materials and Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht