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Li T, Bandari VK, Schmidt OG. Molecular Electronics: Creating and Bridging Molecular Junctions and Promoting Its Commercialization. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2209088. [PMID: 36512432 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202209088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Molecular electronics is driven by the dream of expanding Moore's law to the molecular level for next-generation electronics through incorporating individual or ensemble molecules into electronic circuits. For nearly 50 years, numerous efforts have been made to explore the intrinsic properties of molecules and develop diverse fascinating molecular electronic devices with the desired functionalities. The flourishing of molecular electronics is inseparable from the development of various elegant methodologies for creating nanogap electrodes and bridging the nanogap with molecules. This review first focuses on the techniques for making lateral and vertical nanogap electrodes by breaking, narrowing, and fixed modes, and highlights their capabilities, applications, merits, and shortcomings. After summarizing the approaches of growing single molecules or molecular layers on the electrodes, the methods of constructing a complete molecular circuit are comprehensively grouped into three categories: 1) directly bridging one-molecule-electrode component with another electrode, 2) physically bridging two-molecule-electrode components, and 3) chemically bridging two-molecule-electrode components. Finally, the current state of molecular circuit integration and commercialization is discussed and perspectives are provided, hoping to encourage the community to accelerate the realization of fully scalable molecular electronics for a new era of integrated microsystems and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianming Li
- Research Center for Materials, Architectures and Integration of Nanomembranes (MAIN), Chemnitz University of Technology, 09126, Chemnitz, Germany
- Material Systems for Nanoelectronics, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09111, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Vineeth Kumar Bandari
- Research Center for Materials, Architectures and Integration of Nanomembranes (MAIN), Chemnitz University of Technology, 09126, Chemnitz, Germany
- Material Systems for Nanoelectronics, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09111, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Oliver G Schmidt
- Research Center for Materials, Architectures and Integration of Nanomembranes (MAIN), Chemnitz University of Technology, 09126, Chemnitz, Germany
- Material Systems for Nanoelectronics, Chemnitz University of Technology, 09111, Chemnitz, Germany
- Nanophysics, Dresden University of Technology, 01069, Dresden, Germany
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2
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Bera S, Govinda S, Fereiro JA, Pecht I, Sheves M, Cahen D. Biotin Binding Hardly Affects Electron Transport Efficiency across Streptavidin Solid-State Junctions. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:1394-1403. [PMID: 36648410 PMCID: PMC9893813 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The electron transport (ETp) efficiency of solid-state protein-mediated junctions is highly influenced by the presence of electron-rich organic cofactors or transition metal ions. Hence, we chose to investigate an interesting cofactor-free non-redox protein, streptavidin (STV), which has unmatched strong binding affinity for an organic small-molecule ligand, biotin, which lacks any electron-rich features. We describe for the first time meso-scale ETp via electrical junctions of STV monolayers and focus on the question of whether the rate of ETp across both native and thiolated STV monolayers is influenced by ligand binding, a process that we show to cause some structural conformation changes in the STV monolayers. Au nanowire-electrode-protein monolayer-microelectrode junctions, fabricated by modifying an earlier procedure to improve the yields of usable junctions, were employed for ETp measurements. Our results on compactly integrated, dense, uniform, ∼3 nm thick STV monolayers indicate that, notwithstanding the slight structural changes in the STV monolayers upon biotin binding, there is no statistically significant conductance change between the free STV and that bound to biotin. The ETp temperature (T) dependence over the 80-300 K range is very small but with an unusual, slightly negative (metallic-like) dependence toward room temperature. Such dependence can be accounted for by the reversible structural shrinkage of the STV at temperatures below 160 K.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudipta Bera
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Sharada Govinda
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Jerry A. Fereiro
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
- The
School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of
Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Israel Pecht
- Department
of Immunology and Regenerative Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Mordechai Sheves
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - David Cahen
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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3
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Guo C, Gavrilov Y, Gupta S, Bendikov T, Levy Y, Vilan A, Pecht I, Sheves M, Cahen D. Electron transport via tyrosine-doped oligo-alanine peptide junctions: role of charges and hydrogen bonding. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:28878-28885. [PMID: 36441625 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp02807g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A way of modulating the solid-state electron transport (ETp) properties of oligopeptide junctions is presented by charges and internal hydrogen bonding, which affect this process markedly. The ETp properties of a series of tyrosine (Tyr)-containing hexa-alanine peptides, self-assembled in monolayers and sandwiched between gold electrodes, are investigated in response to their protonation state. Inserting a Tyr residue into these peptides enhances the ETp carried via their junctions. Deprotonation of the Tyr-containing peptides causes a further increase of ETp efficiency that depends on this residue's position. Combined results of molecular dynamics simulations and spectroscopic experiments suggest that the increased conductance upon deprotonation is mainly a result of enhanced coupling between the charged C-terminus carboxylate group and the adjacent Au electrode. Moreover, intra-peptide hydrogen bonding of the Tyr hydroxyl to the C-terminus carboxylate reduces this coupling. Hence, the extent of such a conductance change depends on the Tyr-carboxylate distance in the peptide's sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cunlan Guo
- Departments of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 761001, Israel. .,College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yulian Gavrilov
- Departments of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 761001, Israel.,Division of Biophysical Chemistry, Center for Molecular Protein Science, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Satyajit Gupta
- Departments of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 761001, Israel. .,Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Bhilai, 492015, India
| | - Tatyana Bendikov
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 761001, Israel
| | - Yaakov Levy
- Departments of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 761001, Israel
| | - Ayelet Vilan
- Departments of Chemical & Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 761001, Israel
| | - Israel Pecht
- Department of immunology and Regenerative Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 761001, Israel
| | - Mordechai Sheves
- Departments of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 761001, Israel.
| | - David Cahen
- Departments of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 761001, Israel.
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4
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Plasmonic phenomena in molecular junctions: principles and applications. Nat Rev Chem 2022; 6:681-704. [PMID: 37117494 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-022-00423-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Molecular junctions are building blocks for constructing future nanoelectronic devices that enable the investigation of a broad range of electronic transport properties within nanoscale regions. Crossing both the nanoscopic and mesoscopic length scales, plasmonics lies at the intersection of the macroscopic photonics and nanoelectronics, owing to their capability of confining light to dimensions far below the diffraction limit. Research activities on plasmonic phenomena in molecular electronics started around 2010, and feedback between plasmons and molecular junctions has increased over the past years. These efforts can provide new insights into the near-field interaction and the corresponding tunability in properties, as well as resultant plasmon-based molecular devices. This Review presents the latest advancements of plasmonic resonances in molecular junctions and details the progress in plasmon excitation and plasmon coupling. We also highlight emerging experimental approaches to unravel the mechanisms behind the various types of light-matter interactions at molecular length scales, where quantum effects come into play. Finally, we discuss the potential of these plasmonic-electronic hybrid systems across various future applications, including sensing, photocatalysis, molecular trapping and active control of molecular switches.
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Shi J, Jiang F, Long S, Lu Z, Liu T, Zheng H, Shi J, Yang Y, Hong W, Tian ZQ. The influence of water on the charge transport through self-assembled monolayers junctions fabricated by EGaIn technique. Electrochim Acta 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2021.139304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Fereiro JA, Pecht I, Sheves M, Cahen D. Inelastic Electron Tunneling Spectroscopic Analysis of Bias-Induced Structural Changes in a Solid-State Protein Junction. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2008218. [PMID: 33783130 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202008218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
A central issue in protein electronics is how far the structural stability of the protein is preserved under the very high electrical field that it will experience once a bias voltage is applied. This question is studied on the redox protein Azurin in the solid-state Au/protein/Au junction by monitoring protein vibrations during current transport under applied bias, up to ≈1 GV m-1 , by electrical detection of inelastic electron transport effects. Characteristic vibrational modes, such as CH stretching, amide (NH) bending, and AuS (of the bonds that connect the protein to an Au electrode), are not found to change noticeably up to 1.0 V. At >1.0 V, the NH bending and CH stretching inelastic features have disappeared, while the AuS features persist till ≈2 V, i.e., the proteins remain Au bound. Three possible causes for the disappearance of the NH and CH inelastic features at high bias, namely, i) resonance transport, ii) metallic filament formation, and iii) bond rupture leading to structural changes in the protein are proposed and tested. The results support the last option and indicate that spectrally resolved inelastic features can serve to monitor in operando structural stability of biological macromolecules while they serve as electronic current conduit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry A Fereiro
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Israel Pecht
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Mordechai Sheves
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - David Cahen
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
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7
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Chen Y, Huang L, Chen H, Chen Z, Zhang H, Xiao Z, Hong W. Towards Responsive
Single‐Molecule
Device. CHINESE J CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/cjoc.202000420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yaorong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Xiamen University Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
| | - Longfeng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Xiamen University Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
| | - Hang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Xiamen University Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
| | - Zhixin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Xiamen University Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
| | - Hewei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Xiamen University Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
| | - Zongyuan Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Xiamen University Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Xiamen University Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
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8
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Guo C, Yu J, Horsley JR, Sheves M, Cahen D, Abell AD. Backbone-Constrained Peptides: Temperature and Secondary Structure Affect Solid-State Electron Transport. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:10951-10958. [PMID: 31777245 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b07753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The primary sequence and secondary structure of a peptide are crucial to charge migration, not only in solution (electron transfer, ET), but also in the solid-state (electron transport, ETp). Hence, understanding the charge migration mechanisms is fundamental to the development of biomolecular devices and sensors. We report studies on four Aib-containing helical peptide analogues: two acyclic linear peptides with one and two electron-rich alkene-based side chains, respectively, and two peptides that are further rigidified into a macrocycle by a side bridge constraint, containing one or no alkene. ETp was investigated across Au/peptide/Au junctions, between 80 and 340 K in combination with the molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. The results reveal that the helical structure of the peptide and electron-rich side chain both facilitate the ETp. As temperature increases, the loss of helical structure, change of monolayer tilt angle, and increase of thermally activated fluctuations affect the conductance of peptides. Specifically, room temperature conductance across the peptide monolayers correlates well with previously observed ET rate constants, where an interplay between backbone rigidity and electron-rich side chains was revealed. Our findings provide new means to manipulate electronic transport across solid-state peptide junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cunlan Guo
- Department of Materials and Interfaces , Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 76100 , Israel
| | - Jingxian Yu
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), Institute of Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), Department of Chemistry , The University of Adelaide , Adelaide , South Australia 5005 , Australia
| | - John R Horsley
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), Institute of Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), Department of Chemistry , The University of Adelaide , Adelaide , South Australia 5005 , Australia
| | - Mordechai Sheves
- Department of Materials and Interfaces , Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 76100 , Israel
| | - David Cahen
- Department of Materials and Interfaces , Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 76100 , Israel
| | - Andrew D Abell
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), Institute of Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), Department of Chemistry , The University of Adelaide , Adelaide , South Australia 5005 , Australia
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9
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Zheng H, Jiang F, He R, Yang Y, Shi J, Hong W. Charge Transport through Peptides in Single‐Molecule Electrical Measurements. CHINESE J CHEM 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/cjoc.201900245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Haining Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Xiamen University Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
| | - Feng Jiang
- Joint Research Center for Peptide Drug R&D with Space Peptides, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
| | - Runze He
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Xiamen University Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
- Joint Research Center for Peptide Drug R&D with Space Peptides, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Xiamen University Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
| | - Jia Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Xiamen University Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Xiamen University Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
- Joint Research Center for Peptide Drug R&D with Space Peptides, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
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10
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Du W, Han Y, Hu H, Chu HS, Annadata HV, Wang T, Tomczak N, Nijhuis CA. Directional Excitation of Surface Plasmon Polaritons via Molecular Through-Bond Tunneling across Double-Barrier Tunnel Junctions. NANO LETTERS 2019; 19:4634-4640. [PMID: 31184489 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b01665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Directional excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) by electrical means is important for the integration of plasmonics with molecular electronics or steering signals toward other components. We report electrically driven SPP sources based on quantum mechanical tunneling across molecular double-barrier junctions, where the tunneling pathway is defined by the molecules' chemical structure as well as by their tilt angle with respect to the surface normal. Self-assembled monolayers of S(CH2)nBPh (BPh = biphenyl, n = 1-7) on Au, where the alkyl chain and the BPh units define two distinct tunnel barriers in series, were used to demonstrate and control the geometrical effects. The tilt angle of the BPh unit with respect to the surface normal depends on the value of n, and is 45° when n is even and 23° when n is odd. The tilt angle of the alkyl chain is fixed at 30° and independent of n. For values of n = 1-3, SPPs are directionally launched via directional tunneling through the BPh units. For values of n > 3, tunneling along the alkyl chain dominates the SPP excitation. Molecular level control of directionally launching SPPs is achieved without requiring additional on-chip optical elements, such as antennas, or external elements, such as light sources. Using the molecular tunneling junctions, we provide the first direct experimental demonstration of molecular double-barrier tunneling junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Du
- Department of Chemistry , National University of Singapore , 3 Science Drive 3 , 117543 Singapore
| | - Yingmei Han
- Department of Chemistry , National University of Singapore , 3 Science Drive 3 , 117543 Singapore
| | - Hongting Hu
- Department of Chemistry , National University of Singapore , 3 Science Drive 3 , 117543 Singapore
| | - Hong-Son Chu
- Department of Electronics and Photonics, Institute of High Performance Computing , A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) , 1 Fusionopolis Way, #16-16 Connexis , 138632 Singapore
| | - Harshini V Annadata
- Department of Chemistry , National University of Singapore , 3 Science Drive 3 , 117543 Singapore
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Chemistry , National University of Singapore , 3 Science Drive 3 , 117543 Singapore
| | - Nikodem Tomczak
- Department of Chemistry , National University of Singapore , 3 Science Drive 3 , 117543 Singapore
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering , A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) , 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis , 138634 Singapore
| | - Christian A Nijhuis
- Department of Chemistry , National University of Singapore , 3 Science Drive 3 , 117543 Singapore
- Centre for Advanced 2D Materials and Graphene Research Centre , National University of Singapore , 6 Science Drive 2 , 117546 Singapore
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11
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Zhang W, Liu H, Lu J, Ni L, Liu H, Li Q, Qiu M, Xu B, Lee T, Zhao Z, Wang X, Wang M, Wang T, Offenhäusser A, Mayer D, Hwang WT, Xiang D. Atomic switches of metallic point contacts by plasmonic heating. LIGHT, SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS 2019; 8:34. [PMID: 30937165 PMCID: PMC6437168 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-019-0144-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Electronic switches with nanoscale dimensions satisfy an urgent demand for further device miniaturization. A recent heavily investigated approach for nanoswitches is the use of molecular junctions that employ photochromic molecules that toggle between two distinct isoforms. In contrast to the reports on this approach, we demonstrate that the conductance switch behavior can be realized with only a bare metallic contact without any molecules under light illumination. We demonstrate that the conductance of bare metallic quantum contacts can be reversibly switched over eight orders of magnitude, which substantially exceeds the performance of molecular switches. After the switch process, the gap size between two electrodes can be precisely adjusted with subangstrom accuracy by controlling the light intensity or polarization. Supported by simulations, we reveal a more general and straightforward mechanism for nanoswitching behavior, i.e., atomic switches can be realized by the expansion of nanoelectrodes due to plasmonic heating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqiang Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Sensor and Sensing Network Technology, Key Laboratory of Optical Information Science and Technology, Institute of Modern Optics, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 300350 Tianjin, China
| | - Hongshuang Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Sensor and Sensing Network Technology, Key Laboratory of Optical Information Science and Technology, Institute of Modern Optics, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 300350 Tianjin, China
| | - Jinsheng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310027 Hangzhou, China
| | - Lifa Ni
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Sensor and Sensing Network Technology, Key Laboratory of Optical Information Science and Technology, Institute of Modern Optics, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 300350 Tianjin, China
| | - Haitao Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Sensor and Sensing Network Technology, Key Laboratory of Optical Information Science and Technology, Institute of Modern Optics, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 300350 Tianjin, China
| | - Qiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310027 Hangzhou, China
| | - Min Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310027 Hangzhou, China
| | - Bingqian Xu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Sensor and Sensing Network Technology, Key Laboratory of Optical Information Science and Technology, Institute of Modern Optics, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 300350 Tianjin, China
- College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Takhee Lee
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Institute of Applied Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Korea
| | - Zhikai Zhao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Sensor and Sensing Network Technology, Key Laboratory of Optical Information Science and Technology, Institute of Modern Optics, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 300350 Tianjin, China
| | - Xianghui Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Sensor and Sensing Network Technology, Key Laboratory of Optical Information Science and Technology, Institute of Modern Optics, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 300350 Tianjin, China
| | - Maoning Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Sensor and Sensing Network Technology, Key Laboratory of Optical Information Science and Technology, Institute of Modern Optics, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 300350 Tianjin, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis, Singapore, 138634 Singapore
| | - Andreas Offenhäusser
- Institute of Complex Systems, ICS-8, Bioelectronics, Research Center Juelich and JARA Fundamentals of Future Information Technology, Jülich, 52425 Germany
| | - Dirk Mayer
- Institute of Complex Systems, ICS-8, Bioelectronics, Research Center Juelich and JARA Fundamentals of Future Information Technology, Jülich, 52425 Germany
| | - Wang-Taek Hwang
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Institute of Applied Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Korea
| | - Dong Xiang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Sensor and Sensing Network Technology, Key Laboratory of Optical Information Science and Technology, Institute of Modern Optics, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 300350 Tianjin, China
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12
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Futera Z, Blumberger J. Adsorption of Amino Acids on Gold: Assessing the Accuracy of the GolP-CHARMM Force Field and Parametrization of Au-S Bonds. J Chem Theory Comput 2018; 15:613-624. [PMID: 30540462 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.8b00992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The interaction of amino acids with metal electrodes plays a crucial role in bioelectrochemistry and the emerging field of bionanoelectronics. Here we present benchmark calculations of the adsorption structure and energy of all natural amino acids on Au(111) in vacuum using a van-der-Waals density functional (revPBE-vdW) that showed good performance on the S22 set of weakly bound dimers (mean relative unsigned error (MRUE) wrt CCSD(T)/CBS = 13.3%) and adsorption energies of small organic molecules on Au(111) (MRUE wrt experiment = 11.2%). The vdW-DF results are then used to assess the accuracy of a popular force field for Au-amino acid interactions, GolP-CHARMM, which explicitly describes image charge interactions via rigid-rod dipoles. We find that while the force field underestimates adsorption distances, it does reproduce the binding energy rather well (MRUE wrt revPBE-vdW = 11.3%) with the MRUE decreasing in the order Cys, Met > amines > aliphatic > carboxylic > aromatic. We also present a parametrization of the bonding interaction between sulfur-containing molecules and the Au(111) surface and report force field parameters that are compatible with GolP-CHARMM. We believe the vdW-DF calculations presented herein will provide useful reference data for further force field development, and that the new Au-S bonding parameters will enable improved simulations of proteins immobilized on Au-electrodes via S-linkages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdenek Futera
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Thomas-Young-Centre , University College London , Gower Street , London , WC1E 6BT , U.K
| | - Jochen Blumberger
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Thomas-Young-Centre , University College London , Gower Street , London , WC1E 6BT , U.K.,Institute for Advanced Study , Technische Universität München , Lichtenbergstrasse 2 a , D-85748 Garching , Germany
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13
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Stiévenard D, Guérin D, Lenfant S, Lévêque G, Nijhuis CA, Vuillaume D. Electrical detection of plasmon-induced isomerization in molecule-nanoparticle network devices. NANOSCALE 2018; 10:23122-23130. [PMID: 30512021 DOI: 10.1039/c8nr07603k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We use a network of molecularly linked gold nanoparticles (NPSAN: nanoparticle self-assembled network) to demonstrate the electrical detection (conductance variation) of plasmon-induced isomerization (PII) of azobenzene derivatives (azobenzene bithiophene: AzBT). We show that PII is more efficient in a 3D-like NPSAN (cluster-NPSAN) than in a purely two-dimensional NPSAN (i.e., a monolayer of AzBT functionalized Au NPs). By comparison with the usual optical (UV-visible light) isomerization of AzBT, PII shows faster (a factor > ∼10) isomerization kinetics. Possible PII mechanisms are discussed: electric field-induced isomerization, two-phonon process, and plasmon-induced resonance energy transfer (PIRET), the latter being the most likely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Didier Stiévenard
- Institute of Electronics, Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN), CNRS, Université de Lille, Avenue Poincaré, F-59652 cedex, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
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14
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Wang M, Wang H, Zhang G, Wang Y, Sanvito S, Hou S. Effect of molecular conformations on the electronic transport in oxygen-substituted alkanethiol molecular junctions. J Chem Phys 2018; 148:184703. [PMID: 29764150 DOI: 10.1063/1.5025190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between the molecular structure and the electronic transport properties of molecular junctions based on thiol-terminated oligoethers, which are obtained by replacing every third methylene unit in the corresponding alkanethiols with an oxygen atom, is investigated by employing the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism combined with density functional theory. Our calculations show that the low-bias conductance depends strongly on the conformation of the oligoethers in the junction. Specifically, in the cases of trans-extended conformation, the oxygen-dominated transmission peaks are very sharp and well below the Fermi energy, EF, thus hardly affect the transmission around EF; the Au-S interface hybrid states couple with σ-bonds in the molecular backbone forming the conduction channel at EF, resulting in a conductance decay against the molecular length close to that for alkanethiols. By contrast, for junctions with oligoethers in helical conformations, some π-type oxygen orbitals coupling with the Au-S interface hybrid states contribute to the transmission around EF. The molecule-electrode electronic coupling is also enhanced at the non-thiol side due to the specific spatial orientation introduced by the twist of the molecular backbone. This leads to a much smaller conductance decay constant. Our findings highlight the important role of the molecular conformation of oligoethers in their electronic transport properties and are also helpful for the design of molecular wires with heteroatom-substituted alkanethiols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minglang Wang
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Guangping Zhang
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China
| | - Yongfeng Wang
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Stefano Sanvito
- School of Physics, AMBER and CRANN Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Shimin Hou
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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15
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Tunneling explains efficient electron transport via protein junctions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E4577-E4583. [PMID: 29712853 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1719867115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Metalloproteins, proteins containing a transition metal ion cofactor, are electron transfer agents that perform key functions in cells. Inspired by this fact, electron transport across these proteins has been widely studied in solid-state settings, triggering the interest in examining potential use of proteins as building blocks in bioelectronic devices. Here, we report results of low-temperature (10 K) electron transport measurements via monolayer junctions based on the blue copper protein azurin (Az), which strongly suggest quantum tunneling of electrons as the dominant charge transport mechanism. Specifically, we show that, weakening the protein-electrode coupling by introducing a spacer, one can switch the electron transport from off-resonant to resonant tunneling. This is a consequence of reducing the electrode's perturbation of the Cu(II)-localized electronic state, a pattern that has not been observed before in protein-based junctions. Moreover, we identify vibronic features of the Cu(II) coordination sphere in transport characteristics that show directly the active role of the metal ion in resonance tunneling. Our results illustrate how quantum mechanical effects may dominate electron transport via protein-based junctions.
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16
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Bostick CD, Mukhopadhyay S, Pecht I, Sheves M, Cahen D, Lederman D. Protein bioelectronics: a review of what we do and do not know. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2018; 81:026601. [PMID: 29303117 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/aa85f2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
We review the status of protein-based molecular electronics. First, we define and discuss fundamental concepts of electron transfer and transport in and across proteins and proposed mechanisms for these processes. We then describe the immobilization of proteins to solid-state surfaces in both nanoscale and macroscopic approaches, and highlight how different methodologies can alter protein electronic properties. Because immobilizing proteins while retaining biological activity is crucial to the successful development of bioelectronic devices, we discuss this process at length. We briefly discuss computational predictions and their connection to experimental results. We then summarize how the biological activity of immobilized proteins is beneficial for bioelectronic devices, and how conductance measurements can shed light on protein properties. Finally, we consider how the research to date could influence the development of future bioelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Bostick
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, United States of America. Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, United States of America
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17
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Zhou J, Wang K, Xu B, Dubi Y. Photoconductance from Exciton Binding in Molecular Junctions. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 140:70-73. [PMID: 29249160 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b10479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We report on a theoretical analysis and experimental verification of a mechanism for photoconductance, the change in conductance upon illumination, in symmetric single-molecule junctions. We demonstrate that photoconductance at resonant illumination arises due to the Coulomb interaction between the electrons and holes in the molecular bridge, so-called exciton-binding. Using a scanning tunneling microscopy break junction technique, we measure the conductance histograms of perylene tetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI) molecules attached to Au-electrodes, in the dark and under illumination, and show a significant and reversible change in conductance, as expected from the theory. Finally, we show how our description of the photoconductance leads to a simple design principle for enhancing the performance of molecular switches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfeng Zhou
- Single Molecule Study Laboratory, College of Engineering, University of Georgia , Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Kun Wang
- Single Molecule Study Laboratory, College of Engineering, University of Georgia , Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Bingqian Xu
- Single Molecule Study Laboratory, College of Engineering, University of Georgia , Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Yonatan Dubi
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel.,Ilse-Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
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18
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Kuperman M, Peskin U. Field-induced inversion of resonant tunneling currents through single molecule junctions and the directional photo-electric effect. J Chem Phys 2017. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4973891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maayan Kuperman
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Uri Peskin
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
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19
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Vilan A, Aswal D, Cahen D. Large-Area, Ensemble Molecular Electronics: Motivation and Challenges. Chem Rev 2017; 117:4248-4286. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ayelet Vilan
- Department
of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - David Cahen
- Department
of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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20
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Molecular Properties of Sandwiched Molecules Between Electrodes and Nanoparticles. ADVANCES IN QUANTUM CHEMISTRY 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aiq.2017.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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21
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Galperin M. Photonics and spectroscopy in nanojunctions: a theoretical insight. Chem Soc Rev 2017; 46:4000-4019. [DOI: 10.1039/c7cs00067g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Green function methods for photonics and spectroscopy in nanojunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Galperin
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
- University of California San Diego
- La Jolla
- USA
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22
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Guo C, Yu X, Refaely-Abramson S, Sepunaru L, Bendikov T, Pecht I, Kronik L, Vilan A, Sheves M, Cahen D. Tuning electronic transport via hepta-alanine peptides junction by tryptophan doping. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:10785-90. [PMID: 27621456 PMCID: PMC5047155 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1606779113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Charge migration for electron transfer via the polypeptide matrix of proteins is a key process in biological energy conversion and signaling systems. It is sensitive to the sequence of amino acids composing the protein and, therefore, offers a tool for chemical control of charge transport across biomaterial-based devices. We designed a series of linear oligoalanine peptides with a single tryptophan substitution that acts as a "dopant," introducing an energy level closer to the electrodes' Fermi level than that of the alanine homopeptide. We investigated the solid-state electron transport (ETp) across a self-assembled monolayer of these peptides between gold contacts. The single tryptophan "doping" markedly increased the conductance of the peptide chain, especially when its location in the sequence is close to the electrodes. Combining inelastic tunneling spectroscopy, UV photoelectron spectroscopy, electronic structure calculations by advanced density-functional theory, and dc current-voltage analysis, the role of tryptophan in ETp is rationalized by charge tunneling across a heterogeneous energy barrier, via electronic states of alanine and tryptophan, and by relatively efficient direct coupling of tryptophan to a Au electrode. These results reveal a controlled way of modulating the electrical properties of molecular junctions by tailor-made "building block" peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cunlan Guo
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel 76100; Department of Organic Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel 76100
| | - Xi Yu
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel 76100
| | - Sivan Refaely-Abramson
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel 76100
| | - Lior Sepunaru
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel 76100; Department of Organic Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel 76100
| | - Tatyana Bendikov
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel 76100
| | - Israel Pecht
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel 76100
| | - Leeor Kronik
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel 76100
| | - Ayelet Vilan
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel 76100
| | - Mordechai Sheves
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel 76100
| | - David Cahen
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel 76100;
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23
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Xiang A, Wang M, Wang H, Sun H, Hou S, Liao J. The origin of the transition voltage of gold–alkanedithiol–gold molecular junctions. Chem Phys 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphys.2015.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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24
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Wu H, Li C, Zhao Z, Li H, Jin Y. Free-Standing Monolayered Metallic Nanoparticle Networks as Building Blocks for Plasmonic Nanoelectronic Junctions. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:1594-1599. [PMID: 26742433 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b11805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The effective coupling of optical surface plasmons (SPs) and electron transport in a plasmonic-electronic device is one of the fundamental issues in nanoelectronics and the emerging field of plasmonics, and offer promise in providing a solution to next generation nanocircuits in which all coupling is in the near field. Attempts toward this end, however, are limited because of the integration challenge to compatible nanodevices. To date, direct electrical detection of SP-electron coupling from metallic nanostructures alone are not reported, and thus it remains a great experimental challenge. In this paper, we succeed in preparing a new suspended-film-type nanoelectronic junction, in which free-standing 2D fractal nanoparticle networks act as plasmonically active nanocomponents. Direct electrical detection of optical collective SPs was evidenced by photocurrent response of the junction upon illumination. Room-temperature I-V characteristics, differing from nonlinear to Ohmic behaviors, are found to be sensitive to the nanometer-scale morphology changes of the nanomembranes. The finding and approach may enable the development of advanced plasmonic nanocircuits and new nanoelectronics, nanophotonics, and (solar) energy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoxi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 130022 Jilin, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , 100049 Beijing, China
| | - Chuanping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 130022 Jilin, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , 100049 Beijing, China
| | - Zhenlu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 130022 Jilin, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , 100049 Beijing, China
| | - Haijuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 130022 Jilin, China
| | - Yongdong Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 130022 Jilin, China
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25
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Yu X, Lovrincic R, Sepunaru L, Li W, Vilan A, Pecht I, Sheves M, Cahen D. Insights into Solid-State Electron Transport through Proteins from Inelastic Tunneling Spectroscopy: The Case of Azurin. ACS NANO 2015; 9:9955-63. [PMID: 26381112 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5b03950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Surprisingly efficient solid-state electron transport has recently been demonstrated through "dry" proteins (with only structural, tightly bound H2O left), suggesting proteins as promising candidates for molecular (bio)electronics. Using inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS), we explored electron-phonon interaction in metal/protein/metal junctions, to help understand solid-state electronic transport across the redox protein azurin. To that end an oriented azurin monolayer on Au is contacted by soft Au electrodes. Characteristic vibrational modes of amide and amino acid side groups as well as of the azurin-electrode contact were observed, revealing the azurin native conformation in the junction and the critical role of side groups in the charge transport. The lack of abrupt changes in the conductance and the line shape of IETS point to far off-resonance tunneling as the dominant transport mechanism across azurin, in line with previously reported (and herein confirmed) azurin junctions. The inelastic current and hence electron-phonon interaction appear to be rather weak and comparable in magnitude with the inelastic fraction of tunneling current via alkyl chains, which may reflect the known structural rigidity of azurin.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert Lovrincic
- Institute for High Frequency Technology, TU Braunschweig, and Innovationlab , Speyerer Str. 4, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
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26
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Liao J, Blok S, van der Molen SJ, Diefenbach S, Holleitner AW, Schönenberger C, Vladyka A, Calame M. Ordered nanoparticle arrays interconnected by molecular linkers: electronic and optoelectronic properties. Chem Soc Rev 2015; 44:999-1014. [DOI: 10.1039/c4cs00225c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Arrays of metal nanoparticles in an organic matrix have attracted a lot of interest due to their diverse electronic and optoelectronic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhui Liao
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices
- Department of Electronics
- Peking University
- Beijing 100871
- China
| | - Sander Blok
- Leiden Institute of Physics
- Universiteit Leiden
- 2333 CA Leiden
- Netherlands
| | | | - Sandra Diefenbach
- Walter Schottky Institut and Physik-Department
- Technische Universtität München
- 85748 Garching
- Germany
- Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM)
| | - Alexander W. Holleitner
- Walter Schottky Institut and Physik-Department
- Technische Universtität München
- 85748 Garching
- Germany
- Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM)
| | | | - Anton Vladyka
- Department of Physics
- Universität Basel
- 4056 Basel
- Switzerland
| | - Michel Calame
- Department of Physics
- Universität Basel
- 4056 Basel
- Switzerland
- Swiss Nanoscience Institute
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27
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Wu K, Bai M, Sanvito S, Hou S. Transition voltages of vacuum-spaced and molecular junctions with Ag and Pt electrodes. J Chem Phys 2014; 141:014707. [PMID: 25005303 DOI: 10.1063/1.4886378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The transition voltage of vacuum-spaced and molecular junctions constructed with Ag and Pt electrodes is investigated by non-equilibrium Green's function formalism combined with density functional theory. Our calculations show that, similarly to the case of Au-vacuum-Au previously studied, the transition voltages of Ag and Pt metal-vacuum-metal junctions with atomic protrusions on the electrode surface are determined by the local density of states of the p-type atomic orbitals of the protrusion. Since the energy position of the Pt 6p atomic orbitals is higher than that of the 5p/6p of Ag and Au, the transition voltage of Pt-vacuum-Pt junctions is larger than that of both Ag-vacuum-Ag and Au-vacuum-Au junctions. When one moves to analyzing asymmetric molecular junctions constructed with biphenyl thiol as central molecule, then the transition voltage is found to depend on the specific bonding site for the sulfur atom in the thiol group. In particular agreement with experiments, where the largest transition voltage is found for Ag and the smallest for Pt, is obtained when one assumes S binding at the hollow-bridge site on the Ag/Au(111) surface and at the adatom site on the Pt(111) one. This demonstrates the critical role played by the linker-electrode binding geometry in determining the transition voltage of devices made of conjugated thiol molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunlin Wu
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Meilin Bai
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Stefano Sanvito
- School of Physics, AMBER and CRANN Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Shimin Hou
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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28
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Arielly R, Vadai M, Kardash D, Noy G, Selzer Y. Real-Time Detection of Redox Events in Molecular Junctions. J Am Chem Soc 2014; 136:2674-80. [DOI: 10.1021/ja412668f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rani Arielly
- School
of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Michal Vadai
- School
of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Dina Kardash
- School
of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Gilad Noy
- School
of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Yoram Selzer
- School
of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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29
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Wu K, Bai M, Sanvito S, Hou S. Quantitative interpretation of the transition voltages in gold-poly(phenylene) thiol-gold molecular junctions. J Chem Phys 2013; 139:194703. [PMID: 24320340 DOI: 10.1063/1.4830399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The transition voltage of three different asymmetric Au∕poly(phenylene) thiol∕Au molecular junctions in which the central molecule is either benzene thiol, biphenyl thiol, or terphenyl thiol is investigated by first-principles quantum transport simulations. For all the junctions, the calculated transition voltage at positive polarity is in quantitative agreement with the experimental values and shows weak dependence on alterations of the Au-phenyl contact. When compared to the strong coupling at the Au-S contact, which dominates the alignment of various molecular orbitals with respect to the electrode Fermi level, the coupling at the Au-phenyl contact produces only a weak perturbation. Therefore, variations of the Au-phenyl contact can only have a minor influence on the transition voltage. These findings not only provide an explanation to the uniformity in the transition voltages found for π-conjugated molecules measured with different experimental methods, but also demonstrate the advantage of transition voltage spectroscopy as a tool for determining the positions of molecular levels in molecular devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunlin Wu
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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30
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Wu K, Bai M, Sanvito S, Hou S. Origin of the transition voltage in gold-vacuum-gold atomic junctions. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2013; 24:025203. [PMID: 23238633 DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/24/2/025203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The origin and the distance dependence of the transition voltage of gold-vacuum-gold junctions are investigated by employing first-principles quantum transport simulations. Our calculations show that atomic protrusions always exist on the electrode surface of gold-vacuum-gold junctions fabricated using the mechanically controllable break junction (MCBJ) method. The transition voltage of these gold-vacuum-gold junctions with atomically sharp electrodes is determined by the local density of states (LDOS) of the apex gold atom on the electrode surface rather than by the vacuum barrier shape. More specifically, the absolute value of the transition voltage roughly equals the rising edge of the LDOS peak contributed by the 6p atomic orbitals of the gold atoms protruding from the electrode surface, whose local Fermi level is shifted downwards when a bias voltage is applied. Since the LDOS of the apex gold atom depends strongly on the exact shape of the electrode, the transition voltage is sensitive to the variation of the atomic configuration of the junction. For asymmetric junctions, the transition voltage may also change significantly depending on the bias polarity. Considering that the occurrence of the transition voltage requires the electrode distance to be larger than a critical value, the interaction between the two electrodes is actually rather weak. Consequently, the LDOS of the apex gold atom is mainly determined by its local atomic configuration and the transition voltage only depends weakly on the electrode distance as observed in the MCBJ experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunlin Wu
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
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31
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Warren SC, Walker DA, Grzybowski BA. Plasmoelectronics: coupling plasmonic excitation with electron flow. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2012; 28:9093-9102. [PMID: 22385329 DOI: 10.1021/la300377j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Explorations of the coupling of light and charge via localized surface plasmons have led to the discovery that plasmonic excitation can influence macroscopic flows of charge and, conversely, that charging events can change the plasmonic excitation. We discuss recent theory and experiments in the emerging field of plasmoelectronics, with particular emphasis on the application of these materials to challenges in nanotechnology, energy use, and sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott C Warren
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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32
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Zelinskyy Y, May V. Photoinduced switching of the current through a single molecule: effects of surface plasmon excitations of the leads. NANO LETTERS 2012; 12:446-452. [PMID: 22149944 DOI: 10.1021/nl203805y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The photoinduced switch of the current through a single molecule is studied theoretically by including plasmon excitations of the leads. A molecule weakly linked to two spherical nanoelectrodes is considered resulting in sequential charge transmission scheme. Taking the molecular charging energy (relative to the equilibrium lead chemical potential) to be comparable to the molecular excitation energy, an efficient current switch in a low voltage range becomes possible. A remarkable enhancement of the current is achieved due to simultaneous plasmon excitations in the electrodes. The behavior is explained by an increased molecular absorbance due to oscillator strength transfer from the electrode plasmon excitations and by a net excitation energy motion from the electrodes to the molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaroslav Zelinskyy
- Institut für Physik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Newtonstrasse 15, D-12489 Berlin, Germany
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33
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Mangold MA, Calame M, Mayor M, Holleitner AW. Resonant photoconductance of molecular junctions formed in gold nanoparticle arrays. J Am Chem Soc 2011; 133:12185-91. [PMID: 21721512 DOI: 10.1021/ja204240v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We investigate the photoconductance properties of oligo(phenylene vinylene) (OPV) molecules in metal-molecule-metal junctions. The molecules are electrically contacted in a two-dimensional array of gold nanoparticles. The nanoparticles in such an array are separated by only few nanometers. This allows to bridge the distance between the nanoparticles with molecules considered as molecular wires such as OPV. We report on the photoconductance of electrically contacted OPV upon resonant optical excitation of the molecules. This resonant photoconductance is sublinear in laser intensity, which suggests that trap state dynamics of the optically excited charge carriers dominate the optoelectronic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus A Mangold
- Walter Schottky Institut and Physik-Department, Technische Universität München, Am Coulombwall 4a, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Arielly R, Ofarim A, Noy G, Selzer Y. Accurate determination of plasmonic fields in molecular junctions by current rectification at optical frequencies. NANO LETTERS 2011; 11:2968-2972. [PMID: 21678941 DOI: 10.1021/nl201517k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Current rectification, i.e., induction of dc current by oscillating electromagnetic fields, is demonstrated in molecular junctions at an optical frequency. The magnitude of rectification is used to accurately determine the effective oscillating potentials in the junctions induced by the irradiating laser. Since the gap size of the junctions used in this study is precisely determined by the length of the embedded molecules, the oscillating potential can be used to calculate the plasmonic enhancement of the electromagnetic field in the junctions. With a set of junctions based on alkyl thiolated molecules with identical HOMO-LUMO gap and different lengths, an exponential dependence of the plasmonic field enhancement on gap size is observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rani Arielly
- School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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Hutchison JA, O'Carroll DM, Schwartz T, Genet C, Ebbesen TW. Absorption-Induced Transparency. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2011; 50:2085-9. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201006019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2010] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Hutchison JA, O'Carroll DM, Schwartz T, Genet C, Ebbesen TW. Absorption-Induced Transparency. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2011. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201006019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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