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Nature 408, 421-422 (23 November 2000) | doi:10.1038/35044179

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Molecular electronics: A dual-action material

Fernando Palacio1 & Joel S. Miller

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In the drive for smaller electronic components, chemists are thinking on a molecular scale. By combining two simple molecules, a hybrid has been produced that is both magnetic and an electrical conductor.

As we approach the physical limits of conventional silicon-based electronics, there is a clear need for entirely new types of materials that can deliver smaller and smaller devices. A strong candidate in this field is molecular electronics, which uses assemblies of individual molecules to mimic larger, conventional structures such as switches or semiconductors.

  1. Fernando Palacio is at the Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón, CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
    e-mail: Email:  palacio@posta.unizar.es

Correspondence to: Joel S. Miller Joel S. Miller is in the Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0850, USA.
e-mail: Email: jsmiller@chemistry.utah.edu