“For molecular electronics devices”: scientists have created a computing component based on luminous protein and carbon
Russian scientists have developed a component for a new type of electronics – molecular devices. It is a carbon nanotube with organic red fluorescent protein molecules attached to it. Such proteins are capable of releasing electrons when exposed to light. The authors of the work found that the innovative design reacts differently to light waves of different lengths, changing its conductivity. According to experts, thanks to this property of the component, molecular devices will be able to process large amounts of information faster than existing analogues.
Russian scientists from the National Research University “Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology”, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology and the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry named after Academicians M.M. Shemyakin and Yu.A. Ovchinnikov RAS created a material based on a carbon nanotube and a fluorescent protein, which can become the basis for light-sensitive molecular electronics. Such devices will be able to process large amounts of information faster than existing electronic analogues. This was reported to RT by the press service of the Russian Science Foundation. The results of the research, supported by the foundation, were published in the journal Advanced Electronic Materials.
In optoelectronic devices being developed today, the movement of electrons is controlled by light pulses. Due to this, information can be processed and recorded. Devices created using this principle will surpass traditional computers in speed and performance, and will also improve the efficiency of consumer, industrial and medical electronics and improve wireless communication systems.
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The innovative component developed by the authors of the study combines an organic material – red fluorescent protein molecules – and a nanotube made of a classical semiconductor – carbon. The fluorescent protein was chosen because of the ability of its molecules, when exposed to light, to generate electrons, which cause the protein's own glow in a different wavelength range. However, if a protein is coupled to a conducting nanotube, the excited electrons from the protein can contribute to the electrical current in the carbon nanotubes.
Scientists determined how the resulting device reacts to light waves of different lengths. Experiments have shown that illuminating the system with all spectra, except yellow and violet, leads to a sharp increase in the current in the carbon nanotube and an improvement in its conductive properties.
Conversely, the yellow and violet spectra provoked a gradual decrease in the electric current in the device. Accordingly, the conductivity (photoresponse) of the element in this wavelength range turned out to be negative.
Experiments have shown that the element perceives light of different wavelengths differently. This can be used in light-driven devices to transmit and store information.
“At the moment, systems consisting of both electronic elements and biological objects (such as fluorescent proteins) are of particular interest from the point of view of environmental friendliness and low price. Therefore, our development can be used for molecular electronics devices, light-emitting diodes and optical transistors. The advantage of engineered proteins is the ability to genetically program them to be sensitive to a specific wavelength in the visible spectrum,” explained RT Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Leading Researcher at the Institute of Integrated Electronics named after Academician K.A. Valiev National Research University “MIET” Ivan Bobrinetsky.
