Chemical self-assembly for electronic applications

The current state of spontaneous formation of self-assembled monolayers (SA Ms) on different substrates as well as on nanoparticles (referred to as mon olayer-protected clusters, MPCs) is surveyed. Attention is then focused ont o the assembly and self-assembly of nanoparticles (including MPCs), polymer s, and polyelectrolytes into two-dimensional (2D) arrays and three-dimensio nal (3D) networks. Examples are given for the potential electronic applicat ions of SAMs, MPCs, and the 2D and 3D structures fabricated from them and f rom polymers and polyelectrolytes. These examples include the formation of junctions, heterojunctions, and single-electron-transfer devices.