“Ionic junction” organic diode
George Malliaras and coworkers at Cornell created a novel type of organic diode with an “ionic junction” by laminating together layers of
an anthracene derivative containing free positive ions and a ruthenium, complex containing negative ions. When the two are joined, ions diffuse across the junction creating a difference in energy levels that facilitates rectification, electroluminiscence and photovoltaic response.
The technique is potentially suitable for low-cost fabrication of flexible photovoltaics and LEDs.
The work is described in the Sept. 7 issue of the journal Science in a paper by Cornell graduate researchers Daniel Bernards and Samuel Flores-Torres, Héctor Abruña, the E. M. Chamot Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Cornell, and Malliaras.
