Abstract
One of the strategies to tune current-voltage behaviors in organic diodes is to combine field-induced charge transfer processes with schottky barrier. According to this principle, a rectifying diode with hysteresis effect was fabricated utilizing a hybrid of electroactive polystyrene derivative covalently tethered with electron-donor carbazole moieties and electrostatic linked with electron-acceptor CdTe nanocrystals. Current-voltage characteristics show an electrical switching behavior with some hysteresis is only observed under a negative bias, with three orders of On/Off current ratio. The hybrid material based rectifier exhibits a rectification ratio of six and its maximum rectified output current is about 5 × 10−5 A. The asymmetric switching is interpreted as the result of both field induced charge transfer and schottky barrier, capable of reducing the misreading of cross-bar memory. Meanwhile, chemical doping of CdTe nanocrystals instead of physical blend favor their uniform dispersion in matrix and stable operation of device.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chen R, Zhu R, Zheng C, Liu S, Fan Q, Huang W. Germafluorene conjugated copolymer-synthesis and applications in blue-lightemitting diodes and host materials. Sci China Ser B-Chem, 2009, 52: 212–218
Ebata H, Izawa T, Miyazaki E, Takimiya K, Ikeda M, Kuwabara H, Yui T. High soluble [1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene (BTBT) derivatives for high-performance, solution-processed organic fieldeffect transistors. J Am Chem Soc, 2007, 129: 15732–15733
Liu D, Zhao B, Shen P, Huang H, Liu L, Tan S T. Molecular design of organic dyes based on vinylene hexylthiophene bridge for dyesensitized solar cells. Sci China Ser B-Chem, 2009, 52: 1198–1209
Chen M. Threshold-voltage tuning characteristics of all-organic electrochemical vertical rectifiers on flexible substrates. IEEE Electron Device Lett, 2006, 27: 243–245
Liu J, Chen S, Chen L, Xie L, Qian Y, Ling Q, Huang W. Organic/polymer memory and their switching mechanisms. Chinese Sci Bull (Chinese Ver), 2009, 54: 3420–3432
Liu J, Yin Z, Cao X, Zhao F, Lin A, Xie L, Fan Q, Freddy B, Zhang H, Huang W. Bulk heterojunction polymer memory devices with reduced graphene oxide as electrodes. ACS Nano, 2010, DOI: 10.1021/nn100877s
Metzger RM. Rectification by a single molecule. Synth Met, 2001, 124: 107–112
Metzger RM, Xu T, Peterson IR. Electrical rectification by a monolayer of hexadecylquinolinium tricyanoquinodimethanide measured between macroscopic gold electrodes. J Phys Chem B, 2001, 105: 7280–7290
Hide YGF, Wudl F, Heeger AJ. Polymer diodes using poly(3,4-dicyanothiophene). Synth Met, 1997, 85: 1255–1256
Liang G, Cui T, Varahramyan K. Electrical characteristics of diodes fabricated with organic semiconductors. Microelectron Eng, 2003, 2003 279–284
Liu Y, Cui T. Polymer-based rectifying diodes on a glass substrate fabricated by ink-jet printing. Macromol Rapid Commun, 2005, 26: 289–292
Tan YP, Song Y, Teo EYH, Ling Q, Lim SL, Lo PGQ, Chan DSH, Kang ET, Zhu C. WORM-type device with rectifying effect based on a conjugated copolymer of fluorene and europium complex. J Electrochem Soc, 2008, 155: H17–H20
Chu CW, Ouyang J, Tseng HH, Yang Y. Organic donor-acceptor system exhibiting electrical bistability for use in memory devices. Adv Mater, 2005, 17: 1440–1443
Li F, Son DI, Seo SM, Cha HM, Kim HJ, Kim BJ, Jung JH, Kim TW. Organic bistable devices based on core/shell CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles embedded in a conducting poly(N-vinylcarbazole) polymer layer. Appl Phys Lett, 2007, 91: 122111
Yook KS, Lee JY, Kim SH, Jang J. Transparent organic bistable memory device with pure organic active material and Al/indium tin oxide electrode. Appl Phys Lett, 2008, 92: 223305
Qi X, Pu K, Fang C, Wen G, Zhang H, Boey FYC, Fan Q, Wang L, Huang W. Semiconductor nanocomposites of emissive flexible random copolymers and CdTe nanocrystals: Preparation, characterization, and optoelectronic properties. Macromol Chem Phys, 2007, 208: 2007–2017
Fang C, Qi X, Fan Q, Wang L, Huang W. A facile route to semiconductor nanocrystal-semiconducting polymer complex using aminefunctionalized rod-coil triblock copolymer as multidentate ligand. Nanotechnology, 2007, 18: 035704
Sun H, Zhang J, Zhang H, Xuan Y, Wang C, Li M, Tian Y, Ning Y, Ma D, Yang B, Wang Z. Pure white-light emission of nanocrystalpolymer composites. ChemPhysChem, 2006, 7: 2492–2496
Zhang H, Wang C, Li M, Zhang J, Lu G, Yang B. Fluorescent nanocrystal-polymer complexes with flexible processability. Adv Mater, 2005, 17: 853–857
Sun H, Zhang J, Zhang H, Li W, Wang C, Li M, Tian Y, Zhang D, Chen H, Yang B. Preparation of carbazole-containing amphiphilic copolymers: An efficient method for the incorporation of functional nanocrystals. Macromol Mater Eng, 2006, 291: 929–936
Tu D, Liu M, Shang L, Liu X, Xie C. Asymmetric electrical bistable behavior of an eicosanoic acid/zirconium oxide bilayer system with rectifying effect. Appl Phys Lett, 2008, 92: 123302
Yonekuta Y, Susuki K, Oyaizu KC, Honda KJ, Nishide H. Batteryinspired, nonvolatile, and rewritable memory architecture: A radical polymer-based organic device. J Am Chem Soc, 2007, 129: 14128–14129
Rajh OIMT, Nozik AJ. Synthesis and characterization of surfacemodified colloidal CdTe quantum dots. J Phys Chem, 1993, 97: 11999–12003
Lim SL, Ling Q, Teo EYH, Zhu C, Chan DSH, Kang E-T, Neoh KG. Conformation-induced electrical bistability in non-conjugated polymers with pendant carbazole moieties. Chem Mater, 2007, 19: 5148–5157
Potter BG, Jr, Simmons JH. Quantum confinement effects at the L point in CdTe. Phys Rev B, 1991, 43: 2234–2238
Ling Q, Liaw D-J, Zhu C, Chan DS-H, Kang E-T, Neoh K-G. Polymer electronic memories: materials, devices and mechanisms. Prog Polym Sci, 2008, 33: 917–978
Green JE, Choi JW, Boukai A, Bunimovich Y, Johnston-Halperin E, DeIonno E, Luo Y, Sheriff BA, Xu K, Shin YS, Tseng HR, Stoddart JF, Heath JR. A 160-kilobit molecular electronic memory patterned at 10(11) bits per square centimeter. Nature, 2007, 445: 414–417
Ling Q, Lim SL, Song Y, Zhu C, Chan DS-H, Kang E-T, Neoh KG. Nonvolatile polymer memory device based on bistable electrical switching in a thin film of poly(N-vinylcarbazole) with covalently bonded C60. Langmuir, 2007, 23: 312–319
Ji J, Coffer JL. Impact of erbium-doped silicon nanocrystals on the properties of polyphenylene vinylene films. J Phys Chem B, 2002, 106: 3860–3863
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, J., Qi, X., Jiang, T. et al. A rectifying diode with hysteresis effect from an electroactive hybrid of carbazole-functionalized polystyrene with CdTe nanocrystals via electrostatic interaction. Sci. China Chem. 53, 2324–2328 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-010-4095-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-010-4095-8