Voltage Induced Molecular Motors Constitute the Smallest Self‐Assembled Molecular Electronic Counter

Abstract An electronic counter is an integral component in an analog to digital (A/D) or digital to analog signal conversion circuit. The number of flip‐flops (n) in these devices decides the quality of the conversion as the output is proportional to 2ⁿ. Since each flip‐flop is a combination of transistors, and each transistor occupies some space, there is a limitation in the quality of conversion. The smallest 4‐bit asynchronous counter is built by using a self‐assembled redox‐active organic molecule 2,3‐Dichloro‐5,6‐dicyano‐1,4‐benzoquinone (DDQ), where each DDQ molecule is acting as an individual flip‐flop which is the building block of a counter. These molecules reduce the size of the counter by two orders. The output of the counter is obtained by tracking the translational motion of a group of molecules which are oscillating about the average value concerning the applied bias. Sixteen new spatial locations are obtained corresponding to sixteen distinct analog inputs (bias voltage) to the flip‐flops. So, unconventional conversion of an analog signal to ultra‐digital (UD) signal is possible by using an n‐bit counter consisting of as many numbers of flip‐flops and thus can become a system for the conversion of A/UD signal.