Monolayer control of discotic liquid crystal by electromigration of dewetted layers in thin film devices

Journal of the American Chemical Society
Annalisa CalòFabio Biscarini

Abstract

We show that ultrathin films of a semiconductive discotic liquid crystal, viz. phthalocyanines, can be organized to form a conductive channel tens of microns long between Au electrodes with thickness control over a single monolayer. Our approach exploits the electromigration of the isotropic phase formed starting from the pretransitional region of the columnar-isotropic phase transition. Dewetted isotropic material accumulates to the negative electrode by applying a longitudinal electric field of about 1 V/microm. Dewetting and electromigration expose an ultrathin film, a few monolayers thick, exhibiting columnar liquid crystal order. The layers of this ultrathin film melt progressively above T(C) and can be individually exfoliated by electromigration, starting from the ninth down to the first monolayer. The analysis of the current flowing through the junction as a function of the temperature, together with the comparative imaging of the evolution of morphology, yields a detailed picture of the changes in the dimensionality of the conductive phthalocyanine film and allows us to extract the behavior of the order parameter. The phenomenon of electromigration opens interesting questions on the technological control of individual m...Continue Reading

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Citations

Feb 24, 2012·Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP·Manuele LamarraClaudio Zannoni
Apr 23, 2010·The European Physical Journal. E, Soft Matter·Eric GreletFrédéric Nallet
Apr 8, 2010·The Review of Scientific Instruments·Annalisa CalòFabio Biscarini
Nov 19, 2015·Soft Matter·Octavio Cienega-CacerezEdward John Sambriski
Nov 20, 2014·Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP·Jun ZhangLiang Liu
Dec 17, 2011·Advanced Materials·Gabin GbabodeYves H Geerts
Apr 12, 2012·Chemical Society Reviews·Denis GentiliFabio Biscarini
Mar 26, 2010·Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids·Annalisa CalòFabio Biscarini
Dec 18, 2010·Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids·Wojciech PisulaKlaus Müllen

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