Perylene-Based columnar liquid Crystal: Reveling resistive switching for nonvolatile memory devices

Perylene-based columnar liquid crystal (LC) devices exhibit resistive switching (RS), clearly identified on cyclic J-V curve hysteresis, stable for several cycles. Trap-controlled SCLC conduction is responsible for the charge transport in the active layer, where the “set” and “reset” processes occur. The incorporation of ZnO@SiO2 quantum dots significantly enhances the RS response. The distinguishing result presented here is the ability to write-read-erase-read, controlling the “on” and “off” states by applying an external electric field, which allows to store and read information multiple times. An endurance of nearly one order of magnitude between the low and high RS states was determined over 50 consecutive cycles. The device proved to be resilient, preserving the resistive switching effect and memory capacity even after one year maintained at room temperature and ambient atmosphere. DFT calculations indicate a conduction mechanism based on reversible reductions of the perylene LC molecules. This article highlights the ability of LCs to store and process information via their resistivity, with potential for low-cost production and large-area nonvolatile printed organic memories.