Reversible Switching Phenomenon in Diarylethene Molecular Devices with Reduced Graphene Oxide Electrodes on Flexible Substrates

Abstract

Photoswitching molecular electronic devices with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) top electrodes on flexible substrates are fabricated and characterized. It has been reported previously that diarylethene molecular devices with poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) stabilized with poly-(4-styrenesulfonic acid)/Au top electrodes can hold two stable electrical conductance states when the devices are exposed to UV or visible light during device fabrication. However, those devices fail to show the reversible switching phenomenon in response to illumination after device fabrication. By employing conducting and transparent rGO top electrodes, it is demonstrated that the diarylethene molecular devices show a reversible switching phenomenon, i.e., the fabricated devices change their conductance state in response to the alternating illumination with UV and visible light. Furthermore, the molecular devices with rGO top electrodes also exhibit good longtime stability and reliable electrical characteristics when subjected to various mechanical stresses (bending radius down to 5 mm and bending cycle over 104).