Chemical self-assembly for electronic applications

The current state of spontaneous formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on different substrates as well as on nanoparticles (referred to as monolayer-protected clusters, MPCs) is surveyed. Attention is then focused onto the assembly and self-assembly of nanoparticles (including MPCs), polymers, and polyelectrolytes into two-dimensional (2D) arrays and three-dimensional (3D) networks. Examples are given for the potential electronic applications of SAMs, MPCs, and the 2D and 3D structures fabricated from them and from polymers and polyelectrolytes. These examples include the formation of junctions, heterojunctions, and single-electron-transfer devices.