Molecular and biomolecular optoelectronics*
Itamar Willner** and Bilha Willner
Institute of Chemistry, The Farkas Center for Light-Induced
Processes, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
Abstract: Reversible electronic transduction of photonic processes
occurring on electrodes is the conceptual method to develop molecular
and biomolecular optoelectronic systems. Cyclic photochemical activation
of molecular or biomolecular monolayer redox-functions provides a general
methodology for the amperometric transduction of photonic information
that is recorded by the chemical assembly. Alternatively, photoisomerizable
monolayers associated with electrodes act as "command interfaces"
for controlling the interfacial electron transfer between molecular
redox-species or redox-proteins. The systems use a photonic input for
the generation of an electronic output and act as information processing
assemblies. Programmed arrays of photosensitizer/electron acceptor cross-linked
Au-nanoparticle arrays are assembled on indium tin oxide (ITO) for photoelectrochemical
applications.
*Lecture presented at the XVIIIth IUPAC Symposium on
Photochemistry, Dresden, German , 22-27 July 2000.Other presentations
are published in this issue, pp.395-548.
**Corresponding author