article · Chemical Science · 2025
Electrosynthesis of molecular memory elements
Pradeep Sachan, Anwesha Mahapatra, Lalith Adithya Sai Channapragada, Rajwinder Kaur, Shubham Sahay, Prakash Chandra Mondal
Cited by 3Open access
Abstract
The increasing pace of computing beyond Moore's law scaling and the von Neumann bottleneck necessitates a universal memory solution that offers high speed, low-power consumption, scalability, and non-volatility, such as resistive switching memristors. However, inconsistencies in the homogeneity and uniformity of surface coverage for switching materials on various electrode substrates, especially those prepared <i>via</i> non-covalent methods, result in reduced interfacial stability, thus yielding poor device reproducibility. Electrosynthesis, a reliable and versatile technique for creating covalently bound molecular films on electrode surfaces, enables controlled deposition of large-area, high-quality molecular thin films with nanoscale thicknesses, making it an ideal platform for scalable nanoelectronics. This study explores the electrochemical grafting of two distinct ruthenium complexes: structurally symmetrical [Ru(tpy-ph-NH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>](2PF<sub>6</sub>)] (1) and asymmetrical [Ru(tpy-ph-NH<sub>2</sub>)(naptpy)](2PF<sub>6</sub>)] (2), for the fabrication of large-area, two-terminal molecular junctions intended for resistive switching memory applications. A comparative analysis reveals that 2 exhibits relatively superior memory performance to 1, attributed to its donor-acceptor configuration playing a crucial role. Stable vertical molecular junctions with the configuration ITO/Ru complex<sub>24nm</sub>/Al were fabricated, and electrical measurements were carried out to understand the enhanced switching characteristics. The redox-active molecular devices demonstrate non-volatile resistive switching behavior within a ±3.0 V operation window, featuring a large <i>I</i> <sub>ON</sub>/<i>I</i> <sub>OFF</sub> ratio (∼10<sup>3</sup>), a high power consumption ratio (SET/RESET = 25.5 mJ/75000 mJ), and switching time (SET/RESET = 56/24 ms). Synapse-like potentiation and convolutional neural network simulation were performed, highlighting the potential of these devices for in-memory data processing applications.
Cite this paper
Sachan, P., Mahapatra, A., Channapragada, L. A. S., Kaur, R., Sahay, S., & Mondal, P. C. (2025). Electrosynthesis of molecular memory elements. Chemical Science, 16(24), 10990–11001. https://doi.org/10.1039/d4sc08461f
Sachan, Pradeep, et al. “Electrosynthesis of molecular memory elements.” Chemical Science, vol. 16, no. 24, 2025, pp. 10990–1001, https://doi.org/10.1039/d4sc08461f.
Sachan, Pradeep, Anwesha Mahapatra, Lalith Adithya Sai Channapragada, Rajwinder Kaur, Shubham Sahay, and Prakash Chandra Mondal. 2025. “Electrosynthesis of molecular memory elements.” Chemical Science 16 (24): 10990–1001. https://doi.org/10.1039/d4sc08461f.
Sachan, P. et al. (2025) ‘Electrosynthesis of molecular memory elements’, Chemical Science, 16(24), pp. 10990–11001. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1039/d4sc08461f.
@article{sachan2025electrosynthesis,
title = {{Electrosynthesis of molecular memory elements}},
author = {Sachan, Pradeep and Mahapatra, Anwesha and Channapragada, Lalith Adithya Sai and Kaur, Rajwinder and Sahay, Shubham and Mondal, Prakash Chandra},
journal = {Chemical Science},
volume = {16},
number = {24},
pages = {10990--11001},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1039/d4sc08461f}
}Made from the index record. Check names, capitalisation and page numbers against the paper. Need another style? AI for Research has over 10,000.