Electronic switching element

A memristive electronic component comprising one or more switching elements, wherein each switching element comprises, in sequence, the following:

• a first electrode,
• a molecular layer of mesogenic compounds bonded to a substrate, said molecular layer having negative dielectric anisotropy, and
• a second electrode,
• wherein said component is able to function as a memristor,
• where the substrate consists of the first electrode and optionally one or more layers lying on top of the first electrode, and
• where the molecular layer is a monolayer comprising one or more mesogenic compounds of formula I, as defined below:
• R1-(A1-Z1)r—B1—(Z2-A2)s-Sp-G (I)
• in which
• R1 denotes H or an alkyl or alkoxy radical having 1 to 15 C atoms, wherein one or more CH2 groups may each be replaced, independently of one another, by —C≡C—, —CH═CH—,
• —O—, —S—, —CF2O—, —OCF2—, —CO—O—, or —O—CO—, —SiR0R00—, —NH—, —NR0— or —SO2— in such a way that O atoms are not linked directly to one another, and in which, in addition, one or more H atoms may each be replaced by halogen, CN, SCN or SF5,
• R0, R00, identically or differently, denote an alkyl or alkoxy radical having 1 to 15 C atoms, wherein one or more H atoms may each be replaced by halogen,
• A1, A2 on each occurrence, identically or differently, denote an aromatic, heteroaromatic, alicyclic or heteroaliphatic ring having 4 to 25 ring atoms, which may also contain one or more condensed rings and which may be mono- or polysubstituted by Y,
• Y on each occurrence, identically or differently, denotes F, Cl, CN, SCN, SF5 or straight-chain or branched, in each case optionally fluorinated, alkyl, alkoxy, alkylcarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylcarbonyloxy or alkoxycarbonyloxy having up to 12 C atoms,
• B1 denotes
• where the groups may be oriented in either direction,
• L1 to L5, independently of one another, denote F, Cl, Br, I, CN, SF5, CF3 or OCF3, where L3 may alternatively also denote H,
• Z1, Z2 on each occurrence, identically or differently, denote a single bond, —CF2O—, —OCF2—, —CF2S—, —SCF2—, —CH2O—, —OCH2—, —C(O)O—, —OC(O)—, —C(O)S—, —SC(O)—, —CH2—, —(CH2)2—, —(CH2)3—, —(CH2)4—, —CF2—, —CF2—CF2—, —CF2—CH2—, —CH2—CF2—, —CH═CH—, —CF═CF—, —CF═CH—, —CH═CF—, —(CH2)3O—, —O(CH2)3—, —C≡C—, —O—, —S—, —C═N—, —N═C—, —N═N—, —N═N(O)—, —N(O)═N— or —N═C—C═N—,
• Sp denotes a spacer group or a single bond,
• G denotes —CH═CH2, —SO2OH, —OP(O)(OH)2, —PO(OH)2, —C(OH)(PO(OH)2)2, —COOH, —Si(ORX)3 or —SiCl3,
• RX denotes straight-chain or branched alkyl having 1 to 6 C atoms, and
• r and s, independently of one another, denote 0, 1, 2 or 3,
• where r+s≤4;
• wherein group G of each of the one or more compounds of formula I is bonded to the substrate by chemisorption or by a covalent bond.