MOLECULAR ELECTRONICS

Molecular electronics in its broadest definition encompasses all actual and potential applications of organic molecular materials to electronics and opto-electronics in which the molecular material plays an active role. The macroscopic properties of organic materials are already utilised in xerography and liquid crystal displays. Advances in understanding of electrical and nonlinear optical properties offer prospects for new applications in the near future. Molecular scale electronics has been frequently discussed but in the absence of experimental tests remains speculative. Progress in physics, chemistry, engineering and biology is now providing the means to conduct experiments at the molecular scale. This has opened up a number of alternative routes which may lead to the realisation of molecular scale electronics.