Abstract
HIGH-DENSITY information storage is becoming an increasingly important technological objective. The 'heat-mode' storage techniques (in which only the thermal energy of laser light is used in the recording process and hence information usually stored as a physical change of the storage media) that are used in current optical memories are limited by the diffraction properties of light1, and the alternative 'photon-mode' (in which information is stored as a photon-induced chemical change of the storage media) has attracted attention recently for high-density storage. The most promising candidates for realizing this mode seem to be photochro-ism and photochemical hole burning; but these have some intrinsic drawbacks1,2. Here we present a novel 'photon-mode' technique that uses the photoelectrochemical properties of a Langmuir-Blodgett film of an azobenzene derivative. The system can be interconverted photochemically or electrochemically between three chemical states, and this three-state system is shown to provide a potential storage process that allows for ultra-high storage density, multi-function memory and non-destructive information readout.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Gutierrez, A. R., Friedrich, J., Haarer, D. & Wolfrum, H. IBM J. Res. Dev. 26, 198–208 (1982).
Ando, E., Miyazaki, J. & Morimoto, K. Thin Solid Films 133, 21–28 (1985).
Griffiths, J. Chem. Soc. Rev. 1, 481–493 (1972).
Laviron, E. & Mugnier, Y. J. electroanalyt. Chem. 111, 337–344 (1980).
Liu, Z. F., Hashimoto, K. & Fujishima, A. J. electroanalyt. Chem. (in the press).
Holleck, L., Vavricka, S. & Heyrovsky, M. Electrochim. Acta 15, 645–656 (1970).
Binnig, G. & Rohrer, H. Rev. mod. Phys. 59, 615–625 (1987).
Kwak, J. & Bard, A. J. Analyt. Chem. 61, 1794–1799 (1989).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, Z., Hashimoto , K. & Fujishima, A. Photoelectrochemical information storage using an azobenzene derivative. Nature 347, 658–660 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/347658a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/347658a0
This article is cited by
-
The effect of substituent position and solvent on thermal Z‒E isomerization of dihydroquinolylazotetrazole dyes: kinetic, thermodynamic, and spectral approaches
Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences (2024)
-
New azo dyes based on 8-methoxy-2,2,4-trimethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline and N-substituted tetrazoles
Russian Chemical Bulletin (2022)
-
Structural Design and Application of Azo-based Supramolecular Polymer Systems
Chinese Journal of Polymer Science (2019)
-
Electronic transport induced by edge modification of graphene electrodes in single molecular device
Theoretical Chemistry Accounts (2018)
-
Cooperative Switching in Nanofibers of Azobenzene Oligomers
Scientific Reports (2016)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.