Molecular electronics - the future of bioelectronics

In the last decade, molecular electronics, as an active frontier of interdi sciplinary research areas, has become one of the most rapidly developing fi elds, and attracted worldwide interests. The fundamental element of molecul ar electronics is a molecular device or a supramolecular device. which is a n organized molecular system constructed mainly by organic molecules or bio molecules that have some specific functions in signal detection, process, s torage, and transmission through chemical or physical interactions at molec ular or supramolecular levels. A molecular device (MD) can involve chemical information processes, and be relatively easy to realize a large number of links between the molecules. The links can be controlled by the external s ignals. These are the expected features of molecular computing and directly involve chemical and biological processes. MD may overcome some limitation s of the solid-state chips, and can be directly applied to chemical and bio logical processes. Molecular electronics is a part of bioelectronics. It wi ll play an important and revolutionary role in the next century. This paper intends to review the research activities of molecular electronics in Chin a, particularly in LMBE. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights rese rved.