1
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Jiang JN, Wan Q, Sun N, Zhang YL, Wang B, Zheng JF, Shao Y, Wang YH, Zhou XS. Label-Free Single-Molecule Electrical Sensor for Ultrasensitive and Selective Detection of Iodide Ions in Human Urine. ACS Sens 2024. [PMID: 39415079 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.4c02025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2024]
Abstract
Herein, a label-free single-molecule electrical sensor was first proposed for the ultrasensitive and selective detection of iodide ions in human urine. Single-molecule conductance measurements in different halogen ion solutions via scanning tunneling microscopy break junction (STM-BJ) clearly revealed that I- ions strongly affect the stability and displacement distance (Δz) distribution of molecular junctions. Theoretical calculations prove that the specific adsorption of I- ions modifies the surface properties and weakens the molecular adsorption. Furthermore, the average conductance peak area versus the logarithm of the I- ion concentration has a very good linear relationship in the range of 5 × 10-6 to 5 × 10-10 M, with a correlation coefficient of 0.99. This quantitative analysis remains valid in the presence of interfering ions of SO42-, ClO4-, Br-, and Cl- as well as interfering molecules of ascorbic acid, uric acid, dopamine, and cysteine. A cross-comparison of the human urine detection results of this single-molecule electrical sensor with those of the clinical method of As3+-Ce4+ catalytic spectrophotometry revealed an average difference of 0.9%, which decreased the detection time of 2 h with the traditional method to approximately 15 min. This work proves the promising practical potential of the single-molecule electrical technique for relevant clinical analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Nan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Qiang Wan
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Nan Sun
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Ya-Li Zhang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Ju-Fang Zheng
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Yong Shao
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Ya-Hao Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Xiao-Shun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
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2
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Yan C, Fang C, Gan J, Wang J, Zhao X, Wang X, Li J, Zhang Y, Liu H, Li X, Bai J, Liu J, Hong W. From Molecular Electronics to Molecular Intelligence. ACS NANO 2024. [PMID: 39395180 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c10389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2024]
Abstract
Molecular electronics is a field that explores the ultimate limits of electronic device dimensions by using individual molecules as operable electronic devices. Over the past five decades since the proposal of a molecular rectifier by Aviram and Ratner in 1974 ( Chem. Phys. Lett.1974,29, 277-283), researchers have developed various fabrication and characterization techniques to explore the electrical properties of molecules. With the push of electrical characterizations and data analysis methodologies, the reproducibility issues of the single-molecule conductance measurement have been chiefly resolved, and the origins of conductance variation among different devices have been investigated. Numerous prototypical molecular electronic devices with external physical and chemical stimuli have been demonstrated based on the advances of instrumental and methodological developments. These devices enable functions such as switching, logic computing, and synaptic-like computing. However, as the goal of molecular electronics, how can molecular-based intelligence be achieved through single-molecule electronic devices? At the fiftieth anniversary of molecular electronics, we try to answer this question by summarizing recent progress and providing an outlook on single-molecule electronics. First, we review the fabrication methodologies for molecular junctions, which provide the foundation of molecular electronics. Second, the preliminary efforts of molecular logic devices toward integration circuits are discussed for future potential intelligent applications. Third, some molecular devices with sensing applications through physical and chemical stimuli are introduced, demonstrating phenomena at a single-molecule scale beyond conventional macroscopic devices. From this perspective, we summarize the current challenges and outlook prospects by describing the concepts of "AI for single-molecule electronics" and "single-molecule electronics for AI".
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenshuai Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Chao Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Jinyu Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Jia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Xiaojing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yanxi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Haojie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Xiaohui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Jie Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Junyang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
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3
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Lawson B, Vidal E, Luna S, Haley MM, Kamenetska M. Extreme Anomalous Conductance Enhancement in Neutral Diradical Acene-like Molecular Junctions. ACS NANO 2024. [PMID: 39392333 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c10183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2024]
Abstract
We achieve, at room temperature, conductance enhancements over 2 orders of magnitude in single molecule circuits formed with polycyclic benzoquinoidal (BQn) diradicals upon increasing molecular length by ∼5 Å. We find that this extreme and atypical anti-ohmic conductance enhancement at longer molecular lengths is due to the diradical character of the molecules, which can be described as a topologically nontrivial electronic state, and results in constructive interference between the frontier molecular orbitals. The distinct feature of the compounds studied here as molecular wires is that they are characterized by moderate diradical character in the neutral state, allowing for robust and facile measurements of their transport properties. We adapt the 1D-SSH model, originally developed to examine electronic topological order in linear carbon chains, to the polycyclic systems studied here and find that it captures the anti-ohmic trends in this molecular series. Specifically, our model reveals that the mechanism of conductance enhancement with length in polycyclic systems is constructive quantum interference between the frontier orbitals with nontrivial topology, which is present in acene-like, but not in linear, molecular systems. Importantly, we use our model to predict and experimentally validate that anti-ohmic trends can be engineered through synthetic adjustments of the diradical character of the acene-like molecules. Overall, we achieve extreme anti-ohmic enhancement and mechanistic insight into electronic transport in a class of materials that we identify here as promising candidates for creating highly conductive and tunable nanoscale wires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent Lawson
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Efrain Vidal
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, United States
- Materials Science Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, United States
| | - Sigifredo Luna
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Michael M Haley
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, United States
- Materials Science Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, United States
| | - Maria Kamenetska
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Division of Material Science and Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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4
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Bro-Jørgensen W, Hamill JM, Mezei G, Lawson B, Rashid U, Halbritter A, Kamenetska M, Kaliginedi V, Solomon GC. Making the Most of Nothing: One-Class Classification for Single-Molecule Transport Studies. ACS NANOSCIENCE AU 2024; 4:250-262. [PMID: 39184833 PMCID: PMC11342344 DOI: 10.1021/acsnanoscienceau.4c00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Single-molecule experiments offer a unique means to probe molecular properties of individual molecules-yet they rest upon the successful control of background noise and irrelevant signals. In single-molecule transport studies, large amounts of data that probe a wide range of physical and chemical behaviors are often generated. However, due to the stochasticity of these experiments, a substantial fraction of the data may consist of blank traces where no molecular signal is evident. One-class (OC) classification is a machine learning technique to identify a specific class in a data set that potentially consists of a wide variety of classes. Here, we examine the utility of two different types of OC classification models on four diverse data sets from three different laboratories. Two of these data sets were measured at cryogenic temperatures and two at room temperature. By training the models solely on traces from a blank experiment, we demonstrate the efficacy of OC classification as a powerful and reliable method for filtering out blank traces from a molecular experiment in all four data sets. On a labeled 4,4'-bipyridine data set measured at 4.2 K, we achieve an accuracy of 96.9 ± 0.3 and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 99.5 ± 0.3 as validated over a fivefold cross-validation. Given the wide range of physical and chemical properties that can be probed in single-molecule experiments, the successful application of OC classification to filter out blank traces is a major step forward in our ability to understand and manipulate molecular properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Bro-Jørgensen
- Department
of Chemistry and Nano-Science Center, University
of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken
5, Copenhagen Ø DK-2100, Denmark
| | - Joseph M. Hamill
- Department
of Chemistry and Nano-Science Center, University
of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken
5, Copenhagen Ø DK-2100, Denmark
| | - Gréta Mezei
- Department
of Physics, Institute of Physics, Budapest
University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3., Budapest H-1111, Hungary
- ELKH-BME
Condensed Matter Research Group, Műegyetem rkp. 3., Budapest H-1111, Hungary
| | - Brent Lawson
- Department
of Physics, Chemistry and Division of Material Science and Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Umar Rashid
- Department
of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Indian
Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - András Halbritter
- Department
of Physics, Institute of Physics, Budapest
University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3., Budapest H-1111, Hungary
- ELKH-BME
Condensed Matter Research Group, Műegyetem rkp. 3., Budapest H-1111, Hungary
| | - Maria Kamenetska
- Department
of Physics, Chemistry and Division of Material Science and Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Veerabhadrarao Kaliginedi
- Department
of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Indian
Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Gemma C. Solomon
- Department
of Chemistry and Nano-Science Center, University
of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken
5, Copenhagen Ø DK-2100, Denmark
- NNF
Quantum
Computing Programme, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 155 A, Copenhagen N DK-2200, Denmark
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5
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Miao Z, Pan X, Kamenetska M. Conductance and assembly of quasi-1D coordination chain molecular junctions with triazole derivatives. Dalton Trans 2024; 53:10453-10461. [PMID: 38868899 DOI: 10.1039/d4dt01085j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Incorporating transition metal atoms into metal-molecule-metal junctions presents opportunities for exploring the electronic properties of coordination complexes, organometallics and metal-organic materials on the single molecule level. Recent single molecule conductance studies have shown that in situ incorporation of electrode metal atoms into coordination chains formed in the junction can occur with deprotonated, negatively charged organic ligands, such as the imidazolate (Im-) anion. However, the mechanism and chemical principles, such as the role of the charge state of the ligand, for the construction of such coordination chains are still debated. Here, we probe the role of the ligand charge state and electronic structure in single-molecule conductance and formation of metal-molecule coordination chains. We perform break junction measurements with triazole isomers, which can bridge junctions both in their neutral and charged forms, and find that prior deprotonation of the ligands is not required for coordination complex assembly, but can affect the molecular conductance and junction formation probability. Our results indicate that coordination chains can form with neutral ligands, as long as the electron density in the frontier MOs is concentrated at the binding sites and along the direction of pulling, promoting ligand binding and incorporation of gold atoms into the junction during elongation. Our findings may provide insight into design principles for in situ assembled molecular wires with transition metal atoms and open the door to electronic and spintronic studies of such materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zelin Miao
- Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA.
| | - Xiaoyun Pan
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA
| | - Maria Kamenetska
- Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA
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6
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Tanaka Y. Organometallics in molecular junctions: conductance, functions, and reactions. Dalton Trans 2024; 53:8512-8523. [PMID: 38712999 DOI: 10.1039/d4dt00668b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Molecular junctions, which involve sandwiching molecular structures between electrodes, play a crucial role in molecular electronics. Recent advances in this field have revealed the vital role of organometallic chemistry in the investigation of molecular junctions, which has added to their well-known contributions to catalysis and materials chemistry. This review summarizes the recent examples of organometallic chemistry applications in molecular junctions, which can be categorized into three types, i.e., class I encompassing molecular junctions with bridging organometallic complexes, class II involving molecular junctions with covalent and noncovalent metal electrode-carbon bonds, and class III comprising organometallic reactions within molecular junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Tanaka
- Laboratory for Chemistry and Life Science, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan.
- School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan
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7
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Lee W, Li L, Camarasa-Gómez M, Hernangómez-Pérez D, Roy X, Evers F, Inkpen MS, Venkataraman L. Photooxidation driven formation of Fe-Au linked ferrocene-based single-molecule junctions. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1439. [PMID: 38365892 PMCID: PMC10873316 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45707-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Metal-metal contacts, though not yet widely realized, may provide exciting opportunities to serve as tunable and functional interfaces in single-molecule devices. One of the simplest components which might facilitate such binding interactions is the ferrocene group. Notably, direct bonds between the ferrocene iron center and metals such as Pd or Co have been demonstrated in molecular complexes comprising coordinating ligands attached to the cyclopentadienyl rings. Here, we demonstrate that ferrocene-based single-molecule devices with Fe-Au interfacial contact geometries form at room temperature in the absence of supporting coordinating ligands. Applying a photoredox reaction, we propose that ferrocene only functions effectively as a contact group when oxidized, binding to gold through a formal Fe3+ center. This observation is further supported by a series of control measurements and density functional theory calculations. Our findings extend the scope of junction contact chemistries beyond those involving main group elements, lay the foundation for light switchable ferrocene-based single-molecule devices, and highlight new potential mechanistic function(s) of unsubstituted ferrocenium groups in synthetic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woojung Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Liang Li
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - María Camarasa-Gómez
- Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Regensburg, 93040, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Xavier Roy
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Ferdinand Evers
- Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Regensburg, 93040, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Michael S Inkpen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| | - Latha Venkataraman
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
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8
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Lawson B, Skipper HE, Kamenetska M. Phenol is a pH-activated linker to gold: a single molecule conductance study. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:2022-2029. [PMID: 38197186 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr05257e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Single molecule conductance measurements typically rely on functional linker groups to anchor the molecule to the conductive electrodes through a donor-acceptor or covalent bond. While many linking moieties, such as thiols, amines, thiothers and phosphines have been used among others, very few involve oxygen binding directly to gold electrodes. Here, we report successful single molecule conductance measurements using hydroxy (OH)-containing phenol linkers and show that the molecule-gold attachment and electron transport are mediated by a direct O-Au bond. We find that deprotonation of the hydroxy moiety is necessary for metal-molecule binding to proceed, so that junction formation can be activated through pH control. Electronic structure and DFT+Σ transport calculations confirm our experimental findings that phenolate-terminated alkanes can anchor on the gold and show charge transport trends consistent with prior observations of alkane conductance with other linker groups. Critically, the deprotonated O--Au binding shows features similar to the thiolate-Au bond, but without the junction disruption caused by intercalation of sulfur into electrode tips often observed with thiol-terminated molecules. By comparing the conductance and binding features of O-Au and S-Au bonds, this study provides insight into the aspects of Au-linker bonding that promote reproducible and robust single molecule junction measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent Lawson
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA.
| | - Hannah E Skipper
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA
| | - Maria Kamenetska
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA
- Division of Material Science and Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA
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9
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Pan X, Matthews K, Lawson B, Kamenetska M. Single-Molecule Conductance of Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding in Histamine on Gold. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:8327-8333. [PMID: 37695735 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c02172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
We perform single-molecule conductance measurements and DFT calculations on histamine, a biogenic amine that contains a flexible aliphatic linker and several nitrogen moieties with a potential for hydrogen bonding. Our study determines that junctions containing the free-base form of histamine can bridge through a molecular structure containing an intramolecular hydrogen bond. Conductance of this structure is higher than that through the saturated aliphatic linker. Flicker noise analysis of junction conductance confirms that transport occurs through the hydrogen bond and establishes a benchmark for noise measurements in hydrogen-bonded junctions. Overall, our work provides insights into the formation and conduction of intramolecular hydrogen bonding in single-molecule conductance measurements and into the conformations of the neurotransmitter histamine on noble metal surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyun Pan
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Katherine Matthews
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania 1904, United States
| | - Brent Lawson
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Maria Kamenetska
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Divistion of Material Science and Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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10
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Pabi B, Marek Š, Pal A, Kumari P, Ray SJ, Thakur A, Korytár R, Pal AN. Resonant transport in a highly conducting single molecular junction via metal-metal covalent bond. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:12995-13008. [PMID: 37483089 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr02585c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Achieving highly transmitting molecular junctions through resonant transport at low bias is key to the next-generation low-power molecular devices. Although resonant transport in molecular junctions was observed by connecting a molecule between the metal electrodes via chemical anchors by applying a high source-drain bias (>1 V), the conductance was limited to <0.1G0, G0 being the quantum of conductance. Herein, we report electronic transport measurements by directly connecting a ferrocene molecule between Au electrodes under ambient conditions in a mechanically controllable break junction setup (MCBJ), revealing a conductance peak at ∼0.2G0 in the conductance histogram. A similar experiment was repeated for ferrocene terminated with amine (-NH2) and cyano (-CN) anchors, where conductance histograms exhibit an extended low conductance feature, including the sharp high conductance peak, similar to pristine ferrocene. The statistical analysis of the data and density functional theory-based transport calculation suggest a possible molecular conformation with a strong hybridization between the Au electrodes, and that the Fe atom of ferrocene is responsible for a near-perfect transmission in the vicinity of the Fermi energy, leading to the resonant transport at a small applied bias (<0.5 V). Moreover, calculations including van der Waals/dispersion corrections reveal a covalent-like organometallic bonding between Au and the central Fe atom of ferrocene, having bond energies of ∼660 meV. Overall, our study not only demonstrates the realization of an air-stable highly transmitting molecular junction, but also provides important insights about the nature of chemical bonding at the metal/organo-metallic interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biswajit Pabi
- Department of Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Sector III, Block JD, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700106, India.
| | - Štepán Marek
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, 121 16, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Adwitiya Pal
- Department of Chemistry, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, India
| | - Puja Kumari
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Bihar-801106, India
| | - Soumya Jyoti Ray
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Bihar-801106, India
| | - Arunabha Thakur
- Department of Chemistry, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032, India
| | - Richard Korytár
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, 121 16, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Atindra Nath Pal
- Department of Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Sector III, Block JD, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700106, India.
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11
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Pan X, Montes E, Rojas WY, Lawson B, Vázquez H, Kamenetska M. Cooperative Self-Assembly of Dimer Junctions Driven by π Stacking Leads to Conductance Enhancement. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:6937-6943. [PMID: 37486358 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c01540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate enhanced electronic transport through dimer molecular junctions, which self-assemble between two gold electrodes in π-π stabilized binding configurations. Single molecule junction conductance measurements show that benzimidazole molecules assemble into dimer junctions with a per-molecule conductance that is higher than that in monomer junctions. Density functional theory calculations reveal that parallel stacking of two benzimidazoles between electrodes is the most energetically favorable due to the large π system. Imidazole is smaller and has greater conformational freedom to access different stacking angles. Transport calculations confirm that the conductance enhancement of benzimidazole dimers results from the changed binding geometry of dimers on gold, which is stabilized and made energetically accessible by intermolecular π stacking. We engineer imidazole derivatives with higher monomer conductance than benzimidazole and large intermolecular interaction that promote cooperative in situ assembly of more transparent dimer junctions and suggest at the potential of molecular devices based on self-assembled molecular layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyun Pan
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Enrique Montes
- Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnická 10, Prague CZ-162 00, Czech Republic
| | - Wudmir Y Rojas
- Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnická 10, Prague CZ-162 00, Czech Republic
| | - Brent Lawson
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Héctor Vázquez
- Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnická 10, Prague CZ-162 00, Czech Republic
| | - Maria Kamenetska
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02155, United States
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02155, United States
- Division of Material Science and Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02155, United States
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Homma K, Kaneko S, Tsukagoshi K, Nishino T. Intermolecular and Electrode-Molecule Bonding in a Single Dimer Junction of Naphthalenethiol as Revealed by Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Combined with Transport Measurements. J Am Chem Soc 2023. [PMID: 37437895 PMCID: PMC10375526 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c02050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Electron transport through noncovalent interaction is of fundamental and practical importance in nanomaterials and nanodevices. Recent single-molecule studies employing single-molecule junctions have revealed unique electron transport properties through noncovalent interactions, especially those through a π-π interaction. However, the relationship between the junction structure and electron transport remains elusive due to the insufficient knowledge of geometric structures. In this article, we employ surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) synchronized with current-voltage (I-V) measurements to characterize the junction structure, together with the transport properties, of a single dimer and monomer junction of naphthalenethiol, the former of which was formed by the intermolecular π-π interaction. The correlation analysis of the vibrational energy and electrical conductance enables identifying the intermolecular and molecule-electrode interactions in these molecular junctions and, consequently, addressing the transport properties exclusively associated with the π-π interaction. In addition, the analysis achieved discrimination of the interaction between the NT molecule and the Au electrode of the junction, i.e., Au-π interactions through-π coupling and though-space coupling. The power density spectra support the noncovalent character at the interfaces in the molecular junctions. These results demonstrate that the simultaneous SERS and I-V technique provides a unique means for the structural and electrical investigation of noncovalent interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanji Homma
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 W4-10 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kaneko
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 W4-10 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
| | - Kazuhito Tsukagoshi
- International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Nishino
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 W4-10 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
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13
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Lokamani M, Kilibarda F, Günther F, Kelling J, Strobel A, Zahn P, Juckeland G, Gothelf KV, Scheer E, Gemming S, Erbe A. Stretch Evolution of Electronic Coupling of the Thiophenyl Anchoring Group with Gold in Mechanically Controllable Break Junctions. J Phys Chem Lett 2023:5709-5717. [PMID: 37318265 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c00370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The current-voltage characteristics of a single-molecule junction are determined by the electronic coupling Γ between the electronic states of the electrodes and the dominant transport channel(s) of the molecule. Γ is profoundly affected by the choice of the anchoring groups and their binding positions on the tip facets and the tip-tip separation. In this work, mechanically controllable break junction experiments on the N,N'-bis(5-ethynylbenzenethiol-salicylidene)ethylenediamine are presented, in particular, the stretch evolution of Γ with increasing tip-tip separation. The stretch evolution of Γ is characterized by recurring local maxima and can be related to the deformation of the molecule and sliding of the anchoring groups above the tip facets and along the tip edges. A dynamic simulation approach is implemented to model the stretch evolution of Γ, which captures the experimentally observed features remarkably well and establishes a link to the microscopic structure of the single-molecule junction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mani Lokamani
- Department of Information Services and Computing, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Filip Kilibarda
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Florian Günther
- Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, USP Av. Trabalhador saocarlense, 400, 13560-970, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jeffrey Kelling
- Department of Information Services and Computing, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Physics, Technische Universität Chemnitz, 09107 Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Alexander Strobel
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Peter Zahn
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Guido Juckeland
- Department of Information Services and Computing, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Kurt V Gothelf
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Centre for DNA Nanotechnology, iNANO, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus C, 8000 Denmark
| | - Elke Scheer
- Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Sibylle Gemming
- Institute of Physics, Technische Universität Chemnitz, 09107 Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Artur Erbe
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
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14
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Gu MW, Chen CH. Effects of Electrode Materials on Electron Transport for Single-Molecule Junctions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087277. [PMID: 37108439 PMCID: PMC10139062 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The contact at the molecule-electrode interface is a key component for a range of molecule-based devices involving electron transport. An electrode-molecule-electrode configuration is a prototypical testbed for quantitatively studying the underlying physical chemistry. Rather than the molecular side of the interface, this review focuses on examples of electrode materials in the literature. The basic concepts and relevant experimental techniques are introduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mong-Wen Gu
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Emerging Materials and Advanced Devices, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hsien Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Emerging Materials and Advanced Devices, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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15
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Pan X, Qian C, Chow A, Wang L, Kamenetska M. Atomically precise binding conformations of adenine and its variants on gold using single molecule conductance signatures. J Chem Phys 2022; 157:234201. [PMID: 36550043 DOI: 10.1063/5.0103642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We demonstrate single molecule conductance as a sensitive and atomically precise probe of binding configurations of adenine and its biologically relevant variants on gold. By combining experimental measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations of single molecule-metal junction structures in aqueous conditions, we determine for the first time that robust binding of adenine occurs in neutral or basic pH when the molecule is deprotonated at the imidazole moiety. The molecule binds through the donation of the electron lone pairs from the imidazole nitrogen atoms, N7 and N9, to the gold electrodes. In addition, the pyrimidine ring nitrogen, N3, can bind concurrently and strengthen the overall metal-molecule interaction. The amine does not participate in binding to gold in contrast to most other amine-terminated molecular wires due to the planar geometry of the nucleobase. DFT calculations reveal the importance of interface charge transfer in stabilizing the experimentally observed binding configurations. We demonstrate that biologically relevant variants of adenine, 6-methyladenine and 2'-deoxyadenosine, have distinct conductance signatures. These results lay the foundation for biosensing on gold using single molecule conductance readout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyun Pan
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Cheng Qian
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers University, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Amber Chow
- Department of Physics, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers University, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Maria Kamenetska
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
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16
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Ketkov S, Tzeng SY, Rychagova E, Tzeng WB. Ionization of Decamethylmanganocene: Insights from the DFT-Assisted Laser Spectroscopy. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27196226. [PMID: 36234763 PMCID: PMC9573365 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27196226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Metallocenes represent one of the most important classes of organometallics with wide prospects for practical use in various fields of chemistry, materials science, molecular electronics, and biomedicine. Many applications of these metal complexes are based on their ability to form molecular ions. We report the first results concerning the changes in the molecular and electronic structure of decamethylmanganocene, Cp*2Mn, upon ionization provided by the high-resolution mass-analyzed threshold ionization (MATI) spectroscopy supported by DFT calculations. The precise ionization energy of Cp*2Mn is determined as 5.349 ± 0.001 eV. The DFT modeling of the MATI spectrum shows that the main structural deformations accompanying the detachment of an electron consist in the elongation of the Mn-C bonds and a change in the Me out-of-plane bending angles. Surprisingly, the DFT calculations predict that most of the reduction in electron density (ED) upon ionization is associated with the hydrogen atoms of the substituents, despite the metal character of the ionized orbital. However, the ED difference isosurfaces reveal a complex mechanism of the charge redistribution involving also the carbon atoms of the molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Ketkov
- G.A. Razuvaev Institute of Organometallic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 49 Tropinin St., 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
- Correspondence: (S.K.); (W.-B.T.)
| | - Sheng-Yuan Tzeng
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, 1 Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Elena Rychagova
- G.A. Razuvaev Institute of Organometallic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 49 Tropinin St., 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Wen-Bih Tzeng
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, 1 Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (S.K.); (W.-B.T.)
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