Chemists have investigated the possibilities of building logical units – akin to semiconductor-based circuits – from molecules for years.
By hooking together photoswitchable, bistable chromophores in a single molecule, an international team has successfully built a multifunctional device. Rather than requiring chemical, electrical thermal, or pH input, this device can absorb information via photonic input, process it and generate a photonic output. The superficially simple but sophisticated device can be made to operate as various types of logic gate as well as to function as a keypad lock.
- All-Photonic Multifunctional Molecular LogicDevice,
Joakim Andrasson, Uwe Pischel, Stephen D. Straight, Thomas A. Moore, Ana L. Moore, Devens Gust,
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011.
DOI: 10.1021/ja203456h
