Multifunctional Memprocessor Device with DNA-Guided Nickel Ions Chain

Molecular metal ion wires are highly desirable for their potential applications in the field of molecular electronics. However, synthesis of a scaffold-free and long metal chain is exceptional challenging. DNA is a self-assembly wire that chelates metal ions with its base-pairs. By using DNA as template, an 830-nm equivalent conducting nickel ion chain was fabricated. This nickel ion chain device demonstrates the functionality of memristor (memory resistor), memcapacitor (memory capacitor), and redox-induced hysteresis effects. The memory state operation is attributed to the dynamic response of nickel-ion states caused by redox reaction. The redox state of Ni ions is controllable by external bias, making it a multi-state memory component for a possible “memcomputer”, namely a computer that uses memory to store and process information simultaneously [1]. Ref: [1] M. Di Ventra and Y.V. Pershin, Nature Physics, 9, 200 (2013).