Curcuminoids and Related for on-Surface Synthesis and Electronics
Authors: Aliaga-Alcalde Nuria , Herrera Daniel , Zaffino Rossella , González-Campo Arántzazu , Ribas-Saurí Esteve , Peña Diego , Mugarza Aitor 
Published: August 2024

Increasingly, technological progress in miniaturisation for electronic purposes requires synergy between different disciplines, with the connection between chemists, physicists, biologists, theorists, and engineers, for example, being crucial. This is clearly demonstrated in the multidisciplinary approach of OSS, where experimental physics coexists with a solid application of chemical reactivity, supported by theoretical studies, which together have demonstrated the ability to develop 0D-3D molecular-based systems with promising prospects. From a chemical point of view, this fosters the exploration of new families of molecules that may provide different properties, inspire new synthetic routes, and broaden knowledge (and thus new applications).

In relation to this, in FunNanoSurf (Functional Nanomaterials and Surfaces, https://funnanosurf.icmab.es/) we focus on the synthesis of curcuminoid species (CCMoids)[1] and derivatives and explore their different uses, apart from their well-known biological applications. CCMoids are linear molecules containing a conjugated backbone, with a central keto-enol moiety and aromatic groups at both ends of the molecular unit, conferring the final system with an overall symmetry. Thanks to their high chemical versatility, straightforward synthesis, and purification, in recent years, we have demonstrated that these systems are excellent molecular platforms and can be used in areas related to molecular electronics (as nanowires),[2] coordination polymers (as excellent heterodiotopic linkers)[3] and now also in OSS exploration.

This work aims to make known precisely these points about CCMoid systems and derivatives: their growing potential for use in the same way as other molecular families. Examples of their synthetic plurality, applications, and their possible expansion on surfaces, mainly for electronic purposes, will be presented.

[1] Riba-Lopez, D,. Zaffino, R., Herrera, D., Matheu, R., Silvestri, F., Ferreira da Silva, J., Sanudo, E. C., Mas-Torrent, M., Barrena, E., Pfattner, R., Ruiz, E., Gonzalez-Campo, A., Aliaga-Alcalde, N. iScience, 25(12),105686 (2022).

[2] (a) Olavarria-Contreras, I. J., Etcheverry-Berrios, A., Qian, W., Gutierrez-Ceron, C., Campos-Olguin, A., Sanudo, E. C., Dulić, D., Ruiz, E., Aliaga-Alcalde, N., Soler, M., van der Zant, H. S. J.Chem. Sci., 9, 34, 6988-6996 (2018). (b) Etcheverry-Berríos, A., Díaz-Torres, R., Jullian, D., Ponce, I., Vásquez, S. O., Olavarria, I., Perrin, M. L., Frisenda, R., van der Zant, H. S. J., Dulić, D., Aliaga-Alcalde, N., Soler, M. Chem. Eur. J., 22, 12808-12818 (2016). (c) Burzurí, E., Island, J., Díaz-Torres, R., Fursina, A., González-Campo, A., Roubeau, O., Teat, S. J., Aliaga-Alcalde, N., Ruiz, E., van der Zant, H. S. J. ACS Nano, 10 (2), 2521-2527 (2016).

[3] (a) Rodríguez-Cid, L., Qian, W., Iribarra-Araya, J., Etcheverry-Berríos, Á., Martínez-Olmos, E., Choquesillo-Lazarte, D., Sañudo, E. C., Roubeau, O., López-Periago, A. M., González-Campo, A., Planas, J. G., Soler, M., Domingo, C., Aliaga-Alcalde,N. Dalton Trans. 50, 7056-7054 (2021). (b) L. Rodríguez-Cid, E. C. Sañudo, A. M. López-Periago, A. González-Campo, N. Aliaga-Alcalde, C. Domingo, Crystal Growth and Design, 20, 6555-6564 (2020).