1
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Nguyen AT, Louis-Goff T, Ortiz-Garcia JJ, Pham TKN, Quardokus RC, Lee EC, Brown JJ, Hyvl J, Lee W. Cluster Formation of Self-Assembled Triarylbismuthanes and Charge Transport Characterizations of Gold-Triarylbismuthane-Gold Junctions. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:38669-38678. [PMID: 38981101 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c04294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Organometallic molecules are promising for molecular electronic devices due to their potential to improve electrical conductance through access to complex orbital covalency that is not available to light-element organic molecules. However, studies of the formation of organometallic monolayers and their charge transport properties are scarce. Here, we report the cluster formation and charge transport properties of gold-triarylbismuthane-gold molecular junctions. We found that triarylbismuthane molecules with -CN anchoring groups form clusters during the creation of self-assembled submonolayers. This clustering is attributed to strong interactions between the bismuth (Bi) center and the nitrogen atom in the -CN group of adjacent molecules. Examination of the influence of -NH2 and -CN anchoring groups on junction conductance revealed that, despite a stronger binding energy between the -NH2 group and gold, the conductance per molecular unit (i.e., molecule for the -NH2 group and cluster for the -CN group) is higher with the -CN anchoring group. Further analysis showed that an increase in the number of -CN groups from one to three within the junctions leads to a decrease in conductance while increasing the size of the cluster. This demonstrates the significant effects of different anchoring groups and the impact of varying the number of -CN groups on both the charge transport and cluster formation. This study highlights the importance of selecting the appropriate anchoring group in the design of molecular junctions. Additionally, controlling the size and formation of clusters can be a strategic approach to engineering charge transport in molecular junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh Tuan Nguyen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Ma̅noa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
| | - Thomas Louis-Goff
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai'i at Ma̅noa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
| | - José J Ortiz-Garcia
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Thi Kieu Ngan Pham
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Ma̅noa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
| | - Rebecca C Quardokus
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Eun-Cheol Lee
- Department of Nanoscience and Technology, Graduate School and Department of Physics, Gachon University, Gyeonggi 13120, Republic of Korea
| | - Joseph J Brown
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Ma̅noa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
| | - Jakub Hyvl
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai'i at Ma̅noa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
| | - Woochul Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Ma̅noa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
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2
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Lv X, Li C, Guo MM, Hong W, Chen LC, Zhang QC, Chen ZN. Hydroxyl Group as the 'Bridge' to Enhance the Single-Molecule Conductance by Hyperconjugation. Molecules 2024; 29:2440. [PMID: 38893316 PMCID: PMC11173964 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112440] [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: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
For designing single-molecule devices that have both conjugation systems and structural flexibility, a hyperconjugated molecule with a σ-π bond interaction is considered an ideal candidate. In the investigation of conductance at the single-molecule level, since few hyperconjugation systems have been involved, the strategy of building hyperconjugation systems and the mechanism of electron transport within this system remain unexplored. Based on the skipped-conjugated structure, we present a rational approach to construct a hyperconjugation molecule using a hydroxyl group, which serves as a bridge to interact with the conjugated fragments. The measurement of single-molecule conductance reveals a two-fold conductance enhancement of the hyperconjugation system having the 'bridging' hydroxyl group compared to hydroxyl-free derivatives. Theoretical studies demonstrate that the hydroxyl group in the hyperconjugation system connects the LUMO of the two conjugated fragments and opens a through-space channel for electron transport to enhance the conductance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Lv
- Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China; (X.L.); (C.L.); (M.-M.G.); (Z.-N.C.)
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
- Fujian College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Chang Li
- Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China; (X.L.); (C.L.); (M.-M.G.); (Z.-N.C.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Meng-Meng Guo
- Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China; (X.L.); (C.L.); (M.-M.G.); (Z.-N.C.)
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China;
| | - Li-Chuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China;
| | - Qian-Chong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China; (X.L.); (C.L.); (M.-M.G.); (Z.-N.C.)
- Fujian College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Fujian Science & Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Zhong-Ning Chen
- Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China; (X.L.); (C.L.); (M.-M.G.); (Z.-N.C.)
- Fujian College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Fujian Science & Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China, Fuzhou 350108, China
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3
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Guo Y, Li M, Zhao C, Zhang Y, Jia C, Guo X. Understanding Emergent Complexity from a Single-Molecule Perspective. JACS AU 2024; 4:1278-1294. [PMID: 38665639 PMCID: PMC11040556 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00845] [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: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Molecules, with structural, scaling, and interaction diversities, are crucial for the emergence of complex behaviors. Interactions are essential prerequisites for complex systems to exhibit emergent properties that surpass the sum of individual component characteristics. Tracing the origin of complex molecular behaviors from interactions is critical to understanding ensemble emergence, and requires insights at the single-molecule level. Electrical signals from single-molecule junctions enable the observation of individual molecular behaviors, as well as intramolecular and intermolecular interactions. This technique provides a foundation for bottom-up explorations of emergent complexity. This Perspective highlights investigations of various interactions via single-molecule junctions, including intramolecular orbital and weak intermolecular interactions and interactions in chemical reactions. It also provides potential directions for future single-molecule junctions in complex system research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Guo
- Beijing
National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, National Biomedical Imaging
Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 292 Chengfu Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Mingyao Li
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking
University, No.5 Yiheyuan
Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Cong Zhao
- Center
of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers
Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale
Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic
Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai
University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Yanfeng Zhang
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking
University, No.5 Yiheyuan
Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Chuancheng Jia
- Center
of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers
Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale
Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic
Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai
University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Xuefeng Guo
- Beijing
National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, National Biomedical Imaging
Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 292 Chengfu Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
- Center
of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers
Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale
Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic
Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai
University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
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4
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Almughathawi R, Hou S, Wu Q, Lambert CJ. Signatures of Topological States in Conjugated Macrocycles. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24. [PMID: 38591962 PMCID: PMC11057032 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c04796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Single-molecule electrical junctions possess a molecular core connected to source and drain electrodes via anchor groups, which feed and extract electricity from specific atoms within the core. As the distance between electrodes increases, the electrical conductance typically decreases, which is a feature shared by classical Ohmic conductors. Here we analyze the electrical conductance of cycloparaphenylene (CPP) macrocycles and demonstrate that they can exhibit a highly nonclassical increase in their electrical conductance as the distance between electrodes increases. We demonstrate that this is due to the topological nature of the de Broglie wave created by electrons injected into the macrocycle from the source. Although such topological states do not exist in isolated macrocycles, they are created when the molecule is in contact with the source. They are predicted to be a generic feature of conjugated macrocycles and open a new avenue to implementing highly nonclassical transport behavior in molecular junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renad Almughathawi
- Physics
Department, Lancaster University, LA1 4YB Lancaster, United Kingdom
- Physics
Department, Faculty of science, Taibah University, Medina 42353, Saudi Arabia
| | - Songjun Hou
- Physics
Department, Lancaster University, LA1 4YB Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Qingqing Wu
- Physics
Department, Lancaster University, LA1 4YB Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Colin J. Lambert
- Physics
Department, Lancaster University, LA1 4YB Lancaster, United Kingdom
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5
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Amamizu N, Nishida M, Sasaki K, Kishi R, Kitagawa Y. Theoretical Study on the Open-Shell Electronic Structure and Electron Conductivity of [18]Annulene as a Molecular Parallel Circuit Model. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 14:98. [PMID: 38202553 PMCID: PMC10781064 DOI: 10.3390/nano14010098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Herein, the electron conductivities of [18]annulene and its derivatives are theoretically examined as a molecular parallel circuit model consisting of two linear polyenes. Their electron conductivities are estimated by elastic scattering Green's function (ESGF) theory and density functional theory (DFT) methods. The calculated conductivity of the [18]annulene does not follow the classical conductivity, i.e., Ohm's law, suggesting the importance of a quantum interference effect in single molecules. By introducing electron-withdrawing groups into the annulene framework, on the other hand, a spin-polarized electronic structure appears, and the quantum interference effect is significantly suppressed. In addition, the total current is affected by the spin polarization because of the asymmetry in the coupling constant between the molecule and electrodes. From these results, it is suggested that the electron conductivity as well as the quantum interference effect of π-conjugated molecular systems can be designed using their open-shell nature, which is chemically controlled by the substituents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoka Amamizu
- Department of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan; (M.N.); (K.S.); (R.K.)
| | - Mitsuhiro Nishida
- Department of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan; (M.N.); (K.S.); (R.K.)
| | - Keisuke Sasaki
- Department of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan; (M.N.); (K.S.); (R.K.)
| | - Ryohei Kishi
- Department of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan; (M.N.); (K.S.); (R.K.)
- Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Biology (QIQB), International Advanced Research Institute (IARI), Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry (RCSEC), Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
- Innovative Catalysis Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (ICS-OTRI), Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yasutaka Kitagawa
- Department of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan; (M.N.); (K.S.); (R.K.)
- Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Biology (QIQB), International Advanced Research Institute (IARI), Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry (RCSEC), Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
- Innovative Catalysis Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (ICS-OTRI), Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Spintronics Research Network Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (SRN-OTRI), Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
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6
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Fan Y, Tao S, Pitié S, Liu C, Zhao C, Seydou M, Dappe YJ, Low PJ, Nichols RJ, Yang L. Destructive quantum interference in meta-oligo(phenyleneethynylene) molecular wires with gold-graphene heterojunctions. NANOSCALE 2023; 16:195-204. [PMID: 38050747 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr04012g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Quantum interference (QI) is well recognised as a significant contributing factor to the magnitude of molecular conductance values in both single-molecule and large area junctions. Numerous structure-property relationship studies have shown that para-connected oligo(phenyleneethynylene) (OPE) based molecular wires exemplify the impact of constructive quantum interference (CQI), whilst destructive quantum interference (DQI) effects are responsible for the orders of magnitude lower conductance of analogous meta-contacted OPE derivatives, despite the somewhat shorter effective tunnelling distance. Since molecular conductance is related to the value of the transmission function, evaluated at the electrode Fermi energy, T(EF), which in turn is influenced by the presence and relative energy of (anti)resonances, it follows that the relative single-molecule conductance of para- and meta-contacted OPE-type molecules is tuned both by the anchor group and the nature of the electrode materials used in the construction of molecular junctions (gold|molecule|gold vs. gold|molecule|graphene). It is shown here that whilst amine-contacted junctions show little influence of the electrode material on molecular conductance due to the similar electrode-molecule coupling through this anchor group to both types of electrodes, the weaker coupling between thiomethyl and ethynyl anchors and the graphene substrate electrode results in a relative enhancement of the DQI effect. This work highlights an additional parameter space to explore QI effects and establishes a new working model based on the electrode materials and anchor groups in modulating QI effects beyond the chemical structure of the molecular backbone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinqi Fan
- Department of Chemistry, Xi'an-Jiaotong Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Shuhui Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Xi'an-Jiaotong Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
- NUS (Chongqing) Research Institute, Chongqing, China
| | - Sylvain Pitié
- Applied Quantum Chemistry Group, E4, IC2MP, UMR 7285 Poitiers University CNRS, 86073 Poitiers, France
| | - Chenguang Liu
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Xi'an-Jiaotong Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Chun Zhao
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Xi'an-Jiaotong Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | | | - Yannick J Dappe
- SPEC, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Paul J Low
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, 6009 Crawley, Australia
| | - Richard J Nichols
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Xi'an-Jiaotong Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
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7
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Cai ZY, Ma ZW, Wu WK, Lin JD, Pei LQ, Wang JZ, Wu TR, Jin S, Wu DY, Tian ZQ. Stereoelectronic Switches of Single-Molecule Junctions through Conformation-Modulated Intramolecular Coupling Approaches. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:9539-9547. [PMID: 37856238 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c02577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Stereoelectronic effects in single-molecule junctions have been widely utilized to achieve a molecular switch, but high-efficiency and reproducible switching remain challenging. Here, we demonstrate that there are three stable intramolecular conformations in the 9,10-diphenyl-9,10-methanoanthracen-11-one (DPMAO) systems due to steric effect. Interestingly, different electronic coupling approaches including weak coupling (through-space), decoupling, and strong coupling (through-bond) between two terminal benzene rings are accomplished in the three stable conformations, respectively. Theoretical calculations show that the molecular conductance of three stable conformations differs by more than 1 order of magnitude. Furthermore, the populations of the three stable conformations are highly dependent on the solvent effect and the external electric field. Therefore, an excellent molecular switch can be achieved using the DPMAO molecule junctions and external stimuli. Our findings reveal that modulating intramolecular electronic coupling approaches may be a useful manner to enable molecular switches with high switching ratios. This opens up a new route for building high-efficiency molecular switches in single-molecular junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuan-Yun Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surface, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Zi-Wei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surface, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Kai Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surface, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-De Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surface, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin-Qi Pei
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Jia-Zheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surface, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Tai-Rui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surface, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Shan Jin
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - De-Yin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surface, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhong-Qun Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surface, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, People's Republic of China
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8
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Yan SS, Chen LC, Wang JY, Duan P, Pan ZY, Qu K, Hong W, Chen ZN, Zhang QC. Exploring a Linear Combination Feature for Predicting the Conductance of Parallel Molecular Circuits. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:9399-9405. [PMID: 37877237 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
An accurate rule for predicting conductance is the cornerstone of developing molecular circuits and provides a promising solution for miniaturizing electric circuits. The successful prediction of series molecular circuits has proven the possibility of establishing a rule for molecular circuits under quantum mechanics. However, the quantitatively accurate prediction has not been validated by experiments for parallel molecular circuits. Here we used 1,3-dihydrobenzothiophene (DBT) to build the parallel molecular circuits. The theoretical simulation and single-molecule conductance measurements demonstrated that the conductance of the molecule containing one DBT is the unprecedented linear combination of the conductance of the two individual channels with respective contribution weights of 0.37 and 0.63. With these weights, the conductance of the molecule containing two DBTs is predicted as 1.81 nS, matching perfectly with the measured conductance (1.82 nS). This feature offers a potential rule for quantitatively predicting the conductance of parallel molecular circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai-Sai Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Li-Chuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Jin-Yun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Ping Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Zi-You Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Kai Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Zhong-Ning Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
- Fujian Science & Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qian-Chong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
- Fujian Science & Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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9
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Skipper HE, Lawson B, Pan X, Degtiareva V, Kamenetska M. Manipulating Quantum Interference between σ and π Orbitals in Single-Molecule Junctions via Chemical Substitution and Environmental Control. ACS NANO 2023; 17:16107-16114. [PMID: 37540771 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c04963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding and manipulating quantum interference (QI) effects in single molecule junction conductance can enable the design of molecular-scale devices. Here we demonstrate QI between σ and π molecular orbitals in an ∼4 Å molecule, pyrazine, bridging source and drain electrodes. Using single molecule conductance measurements, first-principles analysis, and electronic transport calculations, we show that this phenomenon leads to distinct patterns of electron transport in nanoscale junctions, such as destructive interference through the para position of a six-membered ring. These QI effects can be tuned to allow conductance switching using environmental pH control. Our work lays out a conceptual framework for engineering QI features in short molecular systems through synthetic and external manipulation that tunes the energies and symmetries of the σ and π channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Skipper
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Brent Lawson
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Xiaoyun Pan
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Vera Degtiareva
- 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
- Division of Material Science and Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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10
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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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11
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Salthouse R, Hurtado-Gallego J, Grace IM, Davidson R, Alshammari O, Agraït N, Lambert CJ, Bryce MR. Electronic Conductance and Thermopower of Cross-Conjugated and Skipped-Conjugated Molecules in Single-Molecule Junctions. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2023; 127:13751-13758. [PMID: 37528901 PMCID: PMC10389811 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c00742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
We report a combined experimental and theoretical study of a series of thiomethyl (SMe) anchored cross-conjugated molecules featuring an acyclic central bridging ketone and their analogous skipped-conjugated alcohol derivatives. Studies of these molecules in a gold|single-molecule|gold junction using scanning tunneling microscopy-break junction techniques reveal a similar conductance (G) value for both the cross-conjugated molecules and their skipped-conjugated partners. Theoretical studies based on density functional theory of the molecules in their optimum geometries in the junction reveal the reason for this similarity in conductance, as the predicted conductance for the alcohol series of compounds varies more with the tilt angle. Thermopower measurements reveal a higher Seebeck coefficient (S) for the cross-conjugated ketone molecules relative to the alcohol derivatives, with a particularly high S for the biphenyl derivative 3a (-15.6 μV/K), an increase of threefold compared to its alcohol analog. The predicted behavior of the quantum interference (QI) in this series of cross-conjugated molecules is found to be constructive, though the appearance of a destructive QI feature for 3a is due to the degeneracy of the HOMO orbital and may explain the enhancement of the value of S for this molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan Hurtado-Gallego
- Departamento
de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid E-28049, Spain
| | - Iain M. Grace
- Physics
Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, U.K.
| | - Ross Davidson
- Department
of Chemistry, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, U.K.
| | - Ohud Alshammari
- Physics
Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, U.K.
| | - Nicolás Agraït
- Departamento
de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid E-28049, Spain
- Condensed
Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC) and Instituto Universitatio de Ciencia
de Materiales “Nicolás Cabrera” (INC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid E-28049, Spain
- Instituto
Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados en Nanociencia IMDEA-Nanociencia, Madrid E-28049, Spain
| | - Colin J. Lambert
- Physics
Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, U.K.
| | - Martin R. Bryce
- Department
of Chemistry, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, U.K.
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12
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Daaoub A, Morris JMF, Béland VA, Demay‐Drouhard P, Hussein A, Higgins SJ, Sadeghi H, Nichols RJ, Vezzoli A, Baumgartner T, Sangtarash S. Not So Innocent After All: Interfacial Chemistry Determines Charge-Transport Efficiency in Single-Molecule Junctions. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202302150. [PMID: 37029093 PMCID: PMC10953449 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202302150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
Most studies in molecular electronics focus on altering the molecular wire backbone to tune the electrical properties of the whole junction. However, it is often overlooked that the chemical structure of the groups anchoring the molecule to the metallic electrodes influences the electronic structure of the whole system and, therefore, its conductance. We synthesised electron-accepting dithienophosphole oxide derivatives and fabricated their single-molecule junctions. We found that the anchor group has a dramatic effect on charge-transport efficiency: in our case, electron-deficient 4-pyridyl contacts suppress conductance, while electron-rich 4-thioanisole termini promote efficient transport. Our calculations show that this is due to minute changes in charge distribution, probed at the electrode interface. Our findings provide a framework for efficient molecular junction design, especially valuable for compounds with strong electron withdrawing/donating backbones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdalghani Daaoub
- Device Modelling GroupSchool of EngineeringUniversity of WarwickCoventryCV4 7ALUK
| | - James M. F. Morris
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZDUK
| | - Vanessa A. Béland
- Department of ChemistryYork University4700 Keele StreetTorontoON, M3J 1P3Canada
| | - Paul Demay‐Drouhard
- Department of ChemistryYork University4700 Keele StreetTorontoON, M3J 1P3Canada
| | - Amaar Hussein
- Department of ChemistryYork University4700 Keele StreetTorontoON, M3J 1P3Canada
| | - Simon J. Higgins
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZDUK
| | - Hatef Sadeghi
- Device Modelling GroupSchool of EngineeringUniversity of WarwickCoventryCV4 7ALUK
| | - Richard J. Nichols
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZDUK
| | - Andrea Vezzoli
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZDUK
| | - Thomas Baumgartner
- Department of ChemistryYork University4700 Keele StreetTorontoON, M3J 1P3Canada
| | - Sara Sangtarash
- Device Modelling GroupSchool of EngineeringUniversity of WarwickCoventryCV4 7ALUK
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13
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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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14
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Yang C, Yang C, Guo Y, Feng J, Guo X. Graphene-molecule-graphene single-molecule junctions to detect electronic reactions at the molecular scale. Nat Protoc 2023:10.1038/s41596-023-00822-x. [PMID: 37045993 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00822-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
The ability to measure the behavior of a single molecule during a reaction implies the detection of inherent dynamic and static disordered states, which may not be represented when measuring ensemble averages. Here, we describe the building of devices with graphene-molecule-graphene single-molecule junctions integrated into an electrical circuit. These devices are simple to build and are stable, showing tolerance to mechanical changes, solution environment and voltage stimulation. The design of a conductive channel based on a single molecule enables single-molecule detection and is sensitive to variations in physical properties and chemical structures of the detected molecules. The on-chip setup of single-molecule junctions further offers complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility, enabling logic functions in circuit elements, as well as deciphering of reaction intermediates. We detail the experimental procedure to prepare graphene transistor arrays as a basis for single-molecule junctions and the preparation of nanogapped carboxyl-terminal graphene electrodes by using electron-beam lithography and oxygen plasma etching. We describe the basic design of a molecular bridge with desired functions and terminals to form covalent bonds with electrode arrays, via a chemical reaction, to construct stably integrated single-molecule devices with a yield of 30-50% per chip. The immobilization of the single molecules is then characterized by using inelastic electron tunneling spectra, single-molecule imaging and fluorescent spectra. The whole protocol can be implemented within 2 weeks and requires users trained in using ultra-clean laboratory facilities and the aforementioned instrumentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Yang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, National Biomedical Imaging Centre, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Caiyao Yang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, National Biomedical Imaging Centre, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yilin Guo
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, National Biomedical Imaging Centre, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianfei Feng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, National Biomedical Imaging Centre, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuefeng Guo
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, National Biomedical Imaging Centre, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
- Centre of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Centre for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
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15
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O'Driscoll LJ, Jay M, Robinson BJ, Sadeghi H, Wang X, Penhale-Jones B, Bryce MR, Lambert CJ. Planar aromatic anchors control the electrical conductance of gold|molecule|graphene junctions. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2023; 5:2299-2306. [PMID: 37056609 PMCID: PMC10089101 DOI: 10.1039/d2na00873d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The synthesis of a family of alkanethiol molecules with planar aromatic head groups, designed to anchor molecules effectively to graphene electrodes, is reported. Characterisation of self-assembled monolayers of these molecules on a gold surface via conductive atomic force microscopy shows that when an aromatic head group is present, the conductance G graphene obtained using a graphene coated probe is higher than the conductance G Pt obtained using a platinum (Pt) probe. For Pt probe and graphene probe junctions, the tunnelling decay constant of benzyl ether derivatives with an alkanethiol molecular backbone is determined as β = 5.6 nm-1 and 3.5 nm-1, respectively. The conductance ratio G graphene/G Pt increases as the number of rings present in the aromatic head unit, n, increases. However, as the number of rings increases, the conductance path length increases because the planar head groups lie at an angle to the plane of the electrodes. This means that overall conductance decreases as n increases. Density functional theory-based charge transport calculations support these experimental findings. This study confirms that planar aromatic head groups can function as effective anchoring units for graphene electrodes in large area molecular junctions. However, the results also indicate that the size and geometry of these head groups must be considered in order to produce effective molecular designs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Jay
- Dept. of Physics, Lancaster University Lancaster LA1 4YB UK
| | | | - Hatef Sadeghi
- Dept. of Engineering, Warwick University Coventry CV4 7AL UK
| | - Xintai Wang
- School of Information Science and Technology, Dalian Maritime University Dalian China
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16
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Mang A, Rotthowe N, Beltako K, Linseis M, Pauly F, Winter RF. Single-molecule conductance studies on quasi- and metallaaromatic dibenzoylmethane coordination compounds and their aromatic analogs. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:5305-5316. [PMID: 36811332 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr05670d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The ability to predict the conductive behaviour of molecules, connected to macroscopic electrodes, represents a crucial prerequisite for the design of nanoscale electronic devices. In this work, we investigate whether the notion of a negative relation between conductance and aromaticity (the so-called NRCA rule) also pertains to quasi-aromatic and metallaaromatic chelates derived from dibenzoylmethane (DBM) and Lewis acids (LAs) that either do or do not contribute two extra dπ electrons to the central resonance-stabilised β-ketoenolate binding pocket. We therefore synthesised a family of methylthio-functionalised DBM coordination compounds and subjected them, along with their truly aromatic terphenyl and 4,6-diphenylpyrimidine congeners, to scanning tunneling microscope break-junction (STM-BJ) experiments on gold nanoelectrodes. All molecules share the common motif of three π-conjugated, six-membered, planar rings with a meta-configuration at the central ring. According to our results, their molecular conductances fall within a factor of ca. 9 in an ordering aromatic < metallaaromatic < quasi-aromatic. The experimental trends are rationalised by quantum transport calculations based on density functional theory (DFT).
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Affiliation(s)
- André Mang
- Chemistry Department, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Nils Rotthowe
- Chemistry Department, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Katawoura Beltako
- Physics Department, University of Lomé, 1515 Lomé, Togo
- Institute of Physics, University of Augsburg, 86159 Augsburg, Germany.
| | - Michael Linseis
- Chemistry Department, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Fabian Pauly
- Institute of Physics, University of Augsburg, 86159 Augsburg, Germany.
| | - Rainer F Winter
- Chemistry Department, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
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17
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Mu Y, Yu J, Hu R, Wang CH, Cheng C, Hou BP. Ab initio study revealing remarkable oscillatory effects and negative differential resistance in the molecular device of silicon carbide chains. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:13265-13274. [PMID: 36924456 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp05677a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Inspired by the requirements of miniaturization and multifunction of molecular devices, we investigate the quantum transport properties of three unique molecular devices with silicon carbide chains bridging gold electrodes by an ab initio approach. The pronounced quantum effects, including the oscillation of charge, conductance, and current, together with the negative differential resistance (NDR), have been observed simultaneously over a wide region in the double-chain device. It changes the regular situation that these two effects usually emerge in single-chain systems at the same time. Inspections of the visible differences in the transport behaviors relevant to length and bias between the three devices further evidence that the interchain interaction and molecule-electrode coupling are decisive factors for achieving the quantum effects of oscillation and NDR. These two factors can improve electronic transport capability through enhancing transmission, strengthening the delocalization of frontier molecular orbitals, and reducing potential barriers. Our results not only lay a solid foundation for the application of silicon carbide chains in the miniaturized and multifunctional molecular devices with good performance, but also provide an efficient way to the continuing search for materials with multiple controllable quantum effects in nanoelectronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Mu
- College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Jie Yu
- College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Rui Hu
- College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Cui-Hong Wang
- College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Cai Cheng
- College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Bang-Pin Hou
- College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China.
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18
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Gupta R, Fereiro JA, Bayat A, Pritam A, Zharnikov M, Mondal PC. Nanoscale molecular rectifiers. Nat Rev Chem 2023; 7:106-122. [PMID: 37117915 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-022-00457-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The use of molecules bridged between two electrodes as a stable rectifier is an important goal in molecular electronics. Until recently, however, and despite extensive experimental and theoretical work, many aspects of our fundamental understanding and practical challenges have remained unresolved and prevented the realization of such devices. Recent advances in custom-designed molecular systems with rectification ratios exceeding 105 have now made these systems potentially competitive with existing silicon-based devices. Here, we provide an overview and critical analysis of recent progress in molecular rectification within single molecules, self-assembled monolayers, molecular multilayers, heterostructures, and metal-organic frameworks and coordination polymers. Examples of conceptually important and best-performing systems are discussed, alongside their rectification mechanisms. We present an outlook for the field, as well as prospects for the commercialization of molecular rectifiers.
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19
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Xu X, Wang J, Blankevoort N, Daaoub A, Sangtarash S, Shi J, Fang C, Yuan S, Chen L, Liu J, Yang Y, Sadeghi H, Hong W. Scaling of quantum interference from single molecules to molecular cages and their monolayers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2211786119. [PMID: 36343232 PMCID: PMC9674264 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2211786119] [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: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of quantum interference (QI) is widely considered as an important advance in molecular electronics since it provides unique opportunities for achieving single-molecule devices with unprecedented performance. Although some pioneering studies suggested the presence of spin qubit coherence and QI in collective systems such as thin films, it remains unclear whether the QI can be transferred step-by-step from single molecules to different length scales, which hinders the application of QI in fabricating active molecular devices. Here, we found that QI can be transferred from a single molecule to their assemblies. We synthesized and investigated the charge transport through the molecular cages using 1,3-dipyridylbenzene (DPB) as a ligand block with a destructive quantum interference (DQI) effect and 2,5-dipyridylfuran (DPF) as a control building block with a constructive quantum interference (CQI) effect using both single-molecule break junction and large area junction techniques. Combined experiments and calculations revealed that both DQI and CQI had been transferred from the ligand blocks to the molecular cages and the monolayer thin film of the cages. Our work introduced QI effects from a ligand to the molecular cage comprising 732 atoms and even their monolayers, suggesting that the quantum interference could be scaled up within the phase-coherent distance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Juejun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Nickel Blankevoort
- Device Modelling Group, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Abdalghani Daaoub
- Device Modelling Group, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Sangtarash
- Device Modelling Group, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Jie Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Chao Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Saisai Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Lichuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Junyang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Hatef Sadeghi
- Device Modelling Group, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
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20
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Vázquez H. Toward Density-Functional Theory-Based Structure-Conductance Relationships in Single Molecule Junctions. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:9326-9331. [PMID: 36178209 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c02349] [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
A method is presented that allows for the calculation using density functional theory (DFT) of the tunneling conductance of single molecule junctions for thousands of junction structures. With a single scaling parameter, conductance is evaluated from clusters consisting of the molecule bonded to one Au atom at each end. Junction geometries are obtained without any constraints from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations at room temperature. This method accurately reproduces standard DFT-based conductance values for several molecular and electrode structures while reducing the computational cost by a factor of ∼400×, allowing for the conductance of tens of thousands of geometries to be computed. When applied to a pair of conjugated molecules, these large data sets quantify the effect on conductance of molecular structure or quantum chemical properties. This methodology enables reliable DFT-based conductance calculations at a negligible computational cost and opens the way to quantitative structure-conductance relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Vázquez
- Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnická 10, PragueCZ-162 00, Czech Republic
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21
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Molecular ensemble junctions with inter-molecular quantum interference. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4742. [PMID: 35961982 PMCID: PMC9374774 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32476-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
We report of a high yield method to form nanopore molecular ensembles junctions containing ~40,000 molecules, in which the semimetal bismuth (Bi) is a top contact. Conductance histograms of these junctions are double-peaked (bi-modal), a behavior that is typical for single molecule junctions but not expected for junctions with thousands of molecules. This unique observation is shown to result from a new form of quantum interference that is inter-molecular in nature, which occurs in these junctions since the very long coherence length of the electrons in Bi enables them to probe large ensembles of molecules while tunneling through the junctions. Under such conditions, each molecule within the ensembles becomes an interference path that modifies via its tunneling phase the electronic structure of the entire junction. This new form of quantum interference holds a great promise for robust novel conductance effects in practical molecular junctions. Quantum interference effect in the conductance of single molecule junctions has been attracting intensive interest in recent years. Here, Li and Selzer show the presence of intermolecular quantum interference over 40,000 molecules in a molecular ensemble junction with bismuth as the top electrode.
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22
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Li P, Hou S, Alharbi B, Wu Q, Chen Y, Zhou L, Gao T, Li R, Yang L, Chang X, Dong G, Liu X, Decurtins S, Liu SX, Hong W, Lambert CJ, Jia C, Guo X. Quantum Interference-Controlled Conductance Enhancement in Stacked Graphene-like Dimers. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:15689-15697. [PMID: 35930760 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c05909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Stacking interactions are of significant importance in the fields of chemistry, biology, and material optoelectronics because they determine the efficiency of charge transfer between molecules and their quantum states. Previous studies have proven that when two monomers are π-stacked in series to form a dimer, the electrical conductance of the dimer is significantly lower than that of the monomer. Here, we present a strong opposite case that when two anthanthrene monomers are π-stacked to form a dimer in a scanning tunneling microscopic break junction, the conductance increases by as much as 25 in comparison with a monomer, which originates from a room-temperature quantum interference. Remarkably, both theory and experiment consistently reveal that this effect can be reversed by changing the connectivity of external electrodes to the monomer core. These results demonstrate that synthetic control of connectivity to molecular cores can be combined with stacking interactions between their π systems to modify and optimize charge transfer between molecules, opening up a wide variety of potential applications ranging from organic optoelectronics and photovoltaics to nanoelectronics and single-molecule electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peihui Li
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Songjun Hou
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK
| | - Bader Alharbi
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK.,Department of Physics, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj 16278, Saudi Arabia
| | - Qingqing Wu
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK
| | - Yijian Chen
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Li Zhou
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Tengyang Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Ruihao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Lan Yang
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Xinyue Chang
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Gang Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Xunshan Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, P. R. China
| | - Silvio Decurtins
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Shi-Xia Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Colin J Lambert
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK
| | - Chuancheng Jia
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China.,Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, National Biomedical Imaging Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 292 Chengfu Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Xuefeng Guo
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China.,Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, National Biomedical Imaging Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 292 Chengfu Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
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23
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Winter RF, Mang A, Linseis M. Synthesis and crystal structures of rhodium acetate paddle‐wheel complexes with anchor group‐functionalized and hydrogen bond‐supported axial ligands. Z Anorg Allg Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/zaac.202200199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - André Mang
- Fachbereich Chemie, Universität Konstanz Fachbereich Chemie, Universität Konstanz Universitätsstraße 10 78464 Konstanz GERMANY
| | - Michael Linseis
- Fachbereich Chemie, Universität Konstanz Fachbereich Chemie, Universität Konstanz Universitätsstraße 10 78464 Konstanz GERMANY
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24
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Highly insulating alkane rings with destructive σ-interference. Sci China Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11426-022-1341-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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25
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Li P, Zhou L, Zhao C, Ju H, Gao Q, Si W, Cheng L, Hao J, Li M, Chen Y, Jia C, Guo X. Single-molecule nano-optoelectronics: insights from physics. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2022; 85:086401. [PMID: 35623319 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/ac7401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Single-molecule optoelectronic devices promise a potential solution for miniaturization and functionalization of silicon-based microelectronic circuits in the future. For decades of its fast development, this field has made significant progress in the synthesis of optoelectronic materials, the fabrication of single-molecule devices and the realization of optoelectronic functions. On the other hand, single-molecule optoelectronic devices offer a reliable platform to investigate the intrinsic physical phenomena and regulation rules of matters at the single-molecule level. To further realize and regulate the optoelectronic functions toward practical applications, it is necessary to clarify the intrinsic physical mechanisms of single-molecule optoelectronic nanodevices. Here, we provide a timely review to survey the physical phenomena and laws involved in single-molecule optoelectronic materials and devices, including charge effects, spin effects, exciton effects, vibronic effects, structural and orbital effects. In particular, we will systematically summarize the basics of molecular optoelectronic materials, and the physical effects and manipulations of single-molecule optoelectronic nanodevices. In addition, fundamentals of single-molecule electronics, which are basic of single-molecule optoelectronics, can also be found in this review. At last, we tend to focus the discussion on the opportunities and challenges arising in the field of single-molecule optoelectronics, and propose further potential breakthroughs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peihui Li
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Zhou
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
| | - Cong Zhao
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongyu Ju
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China
| | - Qinghua Gao
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Si
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Cheng
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Hao
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengmeng Li
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
| | - Yijian Chen
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuancheng Jia
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, National Biomedical Imaging Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 292 Chengfu Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuefeng Guo
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, National Biomedical Imaging Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 292 Chengfu Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
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26
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Ismael AK, Rincón-García L, Evangeli C, Dallas P, Alotaibi T, Al-Jobory AA, Rubio-Bollinger G, Porfyrakis K, Agraït N, Lambert CJ. Exploring seebeck-coefficient fluctuations in endohedral-fullerene, single-molecule junctions. NANOSCALE HORIZONS 2022; 7:616-625. [PMID: 35439804 DOI: 10.1039/d1nh00527h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
For the purpose of creating single-molecule junctions, which can convert a temperature difference ΔT into a voltage ΔV via the Seebeck effect, it is of interest to screen molecules for their potential to deliver high values of the Seebeck coefficient S = -ΔV/ΔT. Here we demonstrate that insight into molecular-scale thermoelectricity can be obtained by examining the widths and extreme values of Seebeck histograms. Using a combination of experimental scanning-tunnelling-microscopy-based transport measurements and density-functional-theory-based transport calculations, we study the electrical conductance and Seebeck coefficient of three endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) Sc3N@C80, Sc3C2@C80, and Er3N@C80, which based on their structures, are selected to exhibit different degrees of charge inhomogeneity and geometrical disorder within a junction. We demonstrate that standard deviations in the Seebeck coefficient σS of EMF-based junctions are correlated with the geometric standard deviation σ and the charge inhomogeneity σq. We benchmark these molecules against C60 and demonstrate that both σq, σS are the largest for Sc3C2@C80, both are the smallest for C60 and for the other EMFs, they follow the order Sc3C2@C80 > Sc3N@C80 > Er3N@C80 > C60. A large value of σS is a sign that a molecule can exhibit a wide range of Seebeck coefficients, which means that if orientations corresponding to high values can be selected and controlled, then the molecule has the potential to exhibit high-performance thermoelectricity. For the EMFs studied here, large values of σS are associated with distributions of Seebeck coefficients containing both positive and negative signs, which reveals that all these EMFs are bi-thermoelectric materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali K Ismael
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
- Department of Physics, College of Education for Pure Science, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq
| | - Laura Rincón-García
- Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Panagiotis Dallas
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, NCSR Demokritos, 15310 Athens, Greece
- Department of Materials, University of Oxford, OX1 3PH, UK
| | - Turki Alotaibi
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alaa A Al-Jobory
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
- Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Anbar, Anbar, Iraq
| | - Gabino Rubio-Bollinger
- Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
- Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC) and Instituto Universitario de Ciencia de Materiales "Nicolás Cabrera" (INC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Kyriakos Porfyrakis
- Department of Materials, University of Oxford, OX1 3PH, UK
- Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Nicolás Agraït
- Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
- Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC) and Instituto Universitario de Ciencia de Materiales "Nicolás Cabrera" (INC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
- Fundación IMDEA Nanociencia, Calle Faraday 9, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
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27
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Duan P, Wang Y, Chen L, Qu K, Liu J, Zhang QC, Chen ZN, Hong W. Transport Modulation Through Electronegativity Gating in Multiple Nitrogenous Circuits. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2200361. [PMID: 35481610 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202200361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Investigating the correlations of electron transport between multiple channels shows vital promises for the design of molecule-scale circuits with logic operations. To control the electron transport through multiple channels, the modulation of electronegativity shows an effective frontier orbit control method with high universality to explore the interactions between transport channels. Here, two series of compounds with a single nitrogenous conductive channel (Sg) and dual-channels (Db) are designed to explore the influence of electronegativity on electron tunneling transport. Single-molecule conductance measured via the scanning tunneling microscope break junction technique (STM-BJ) reveals that the conductance of Db series is significantly suppressed as the electronegativity of nitrogen becomes negative, while the suppression on Sg is less obvious. Theoretical calculations confirm that the effect of electronegativity extends to a dispersive range of molecular frameworks owing to the delocalized orbital distribution from the dual-channel structure, resulting in a more significant conductance suppression effect than that on the single-channel. This study provides the experimental and theoretical potentials of electronegativity gating for molecular circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Yaping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Lichuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Kai Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, 350002, P. R. China
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Junyang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Qian-Chong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, 350002, P. R. China
| | - Zhong-Ning Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, 350002, P. R. China
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
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28
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Xiao B, Dong J, Wang Z, Wang X, Sun M, Guo J, Qian G, Li Y, Chang S. Conductance modulation of metal-molecule-metal junction via extra acid addition and its mechanism investigation. Chemphyschem 2022; 23:e202100833. [PMID: 35138016 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202100833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The advance of single molecular device fabrication strongly relies on the understanding of the metal-molecule-metal junction that can response to the external stimulus. A model Lewis basic molecule DBP which can react with Lewis acid and protic acid was synthesized, then the molecular conducting behavior of the original molecule and the resulted Lewis acid-base pair were researched. Allowing for their identical physical paths for charge conducting, these results indicated that adjusting the molecular electronic structure, even not directly changing the conductive molecular backbone, could also tune the charge transporting ability by nearly one order of magnitude. Furthermore, the addition of another Lewis base - Triethylamine to Lewis acid-base pair brought the electrical properties back to that of single DBP junction, which establishs a basic understanding in the design and construction of reversible and controllable molecular device based on pyridine derived molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bohuai Xiao
- Wuhan University of Science and Technology, College of Material and Metallurgy, CHINA
| | - Jianqiao Dong
- Wuhan University of Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 947 Heping Avenue, Qingshan District, Wuhan, CHINA
| | - Zhiye Wang
- Wuhan University of Science and Technology, College of Material and Metallurgy, CHINA
| | - Xu Wang
- Wuhan University of Science and Technology, College of Material and Metallurgy, CHINA
| | - Mingjun Sun
- Wuhan University of Science and Technology, College of Material and Metallurgy, CHINA
| | - Jing Guo
- Wuhan University of Science and Technology, College of Material and Metallurgy, CHINA
| | - Gongming Qian
- Wuhan University of Science and Technology, College of Resources and Environment, CHINA
| | - Yunchuan Li
- Wuhan University of Science and Technology, College of Material and Metallurgy, 947 Heping Avenue, Qingshan District, 430081, Wuhan, CHINA
| | - Shuai Chang
- Wuhan University of Science and Technology, College of Material and Metallurgy, CHINA
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29
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Okazawa K, Tsuji Y, Yoshizawa K. Graph-theoretical exploration of the relation between conductivity and connectivity in heteroatom-containing single-molecule junctions. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:091102. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0083486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Okazawa
- Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University - Ito Campus, Japan
| | - Yuta Tsuji
- Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu Daigaku, Japan
| | - Kazunari Yoshizawa
- Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Japan
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30
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Qu FY, Zhao ZH, Ren XR, Zhang SF, Wang L, Wang D. Multiple heteroatom substitution effect on destructive quantum interference in tripodal single-molecule junctions. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:26795-26801. [DOI: 10.1039/d2cp03902h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Destructive quantum interference manipulating the electron transport in tripodal meta-linked phenyl derivatives can be modulated by adjusting the number and the position of the substituted heteroatom(s) inside the molecular core.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fa-Yu Qu
- School of Materials Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 10083, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Zhi-Hao Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiao-Rui Ren
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shou-Feng Zhang
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Guangxi University of Science and Technology, Liuzhou, 545006, P. R. China
| | - Lin Wang
- School of Materials Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 10083, China
| | - Dong Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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31
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Aggarwal A, Kaliginedi V, Maiti PK. Quantum Circuit Rules for Molecular Electronic Systems: Where Are We Headed Based on the Current Understanding of Quantum Interference, Thermoelectric, and Molecular Spintronics Phenomena? NANO LETTERS 2021; 21:8532-8544. [PMID: 34622657 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c02390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this minireview, we discuss important aspects of the various quantum phenomena (such as quantum interference, spin-dependent charge transport, and thermoelectric effects) relevant in single-molecule charge transport and list some of the basic circuit rules devised for different molecular systems. These quantum phenomena, in conjunction with the existing empirical circuit rules, can help in predicting some of the structure-property relationships in molecular circuits. However, a universal circuit law that predicts the charge transport properties of a molecular circuit has not been derived yet. Having such law(s) will help to design and build a complex molecular device leading to exciting unique applications that are not possible with the traditional silicon-based technologies. Based on the existing knowledge in the literature, here we open the discussion on the possible future research directions for deriving unified circuit law(s) to predict the charge transport in complex single-molecule circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Aggarwal
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Veerabhadrarao Kaliginedi
- Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Prabal K Maiti
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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32
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Joseph V, Levine M. Ronald C.D. Breslow (1931-2017): A career in review. Bioorg Chem 2021; 115:104868. [PMID: 34523507 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.104868] [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: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Reviewed herein are key research accomplishments of Professor Ronald Charles D. Breslow (1931-2017) throughout his more than 60 year research career. These accomplishments span a wide range of topics, most notably physical organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and bioorganic chemistry. These topics are reviewed, as are topics of molecular electronics and origin of chirality, which combine to make up the bulk of this review. Also reviewed briefly are Breslow's contributions to the broader chemistry profession, including his work for the American Chemical Society and his work promoting gender equity. Throughout the article, efforts are made to put Breslow's accomplishments in the context of other work being done at the time, as well as to include subsequent iterations and elaborations of the research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Joseph
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Ariel University, Israel
| | - Mindy Levine
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Ariel University, Israel.
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33
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Jirásek M, Anderson HL, Peeks MD. From Macrocycles to Quantum Rings: Does Aromaticity Have a Size Limit? Acc Chem Res 2021; 54:3241-3251. [PMID: 34347441 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
ConspectusThe ring currents of aromatic and antiaromatic molecules are remarkable emergent phenomena. A ring current is a quantum-mechanical feature of the whole system, and its existence cannot be inferred from the properties of the individual components of the ring. Hückel's rule states that when an aromatic molecule with a circuit of [4n + 2] π electrons is placed in a magnetic field, the field induces a ring current that creates a magnetic field opposing the external field inside the ring. In contrast, antiaromatic rings with 4n π electrons exhibit ring currents in the opposite direction. This rule bears the name of Erich Hückel, and it grew from his molecular orbital theory, but modern formulations of Hückel's rule incorporate contributions from others, particularly William Doering and Ronald Breslow. It is often assumed that aromaticity is restricted to small molecular rings with up to about 22 π electrons. This Account outlines the discovery of global ring currents in large macrocycles with circuits of up to 162 π electrons. The largest aromatic rings yet investigated are cyclic porphyrin oligomers, which exhibit global ring currents after oxidation, reduction or optical excitation but not in the neutral ground state. The global aromaticity in these porphyrin nanorings leads to experimentally measurable aromatic stabilization energies in addition to magnetic effects that can be studied by NMR spectroscopy. Wheel-like templates can be bound inside these nanorings, providing excellent control over the molecular geometry and allowing the magnetic shielding to be probed inside the nanoring. The ring currents in these systems are well-reproduced by density functional theory (DFT), although the choice of DFT functional often turns out to be critical. Here we review recent contributions to this field and present a simple method for determining the ring current susceptibility (in nA/T) in any aromatic or antiaromatic ring from experimental NMR data by classical Biot-Savart calculations. We use this method to quantify the ring currents in a variety of aromatic rings. This survey confirms that Hückel's rule reliably predicts the direction of the ring current, and it reveals that the ring current susceptibility is surprisingly insensitive to the size of the ring. The investigation of aromaticity in even larger molecular rings is interesting because ring currents are also observed when mesoscopic metal rings are placed in a magnetic field at low temperatures. The striking similarity between the ring currents in molecules and mesoscopic metal rings arises because the effects have a common origin: a field-dependent phase shift in the electronic wave function. The main difference is that the magnetic flux through mesoscopic rings is much greater because of their larger areas, so their persistent currents are nonlinear and oscillatory with the applied field, whereas the flux through aromatic molecules is so small that their response is approximately linear in the applied field. We discuss how nonlinearity is expected to emerge in large molecular nanorings at high magnetic fields. The insights from this work are fundamentally important for understanding aromaticity and for bridging the gap between chemistry and mesoscopic physics, potentially leading to new functions in molecular electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Jirásek
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Harry L Anderson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
| | - Martin D Peeks
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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34
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Zhu C, Poater A, Duhayon C, Kauffmann B, Saquet A, Rives A, Maraval V, Chauvin R. Carbo-mer of Barrelene: A Rigid 3D-Carbon-Expanded Molecular Barrel. Chemistry 2021; 27:9286-9291. [PMID: 33900649 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202100670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
After extensive studies of 1D and 2D skeletal carbo-mers based on C8 π-conjugating dialkynylbutatriene units (DABs: ∼C≡C-(R)C=C=C=C(R)-C≡C∼) bridging sp or sp2 centers in carbo-butene, carbo-xylylene or carbo-benzene derivatives, 3D versions are envisaged through carbo-barrelenes and partially reduced derivatives thereof where two or three DAB blades span a bridge between sp3 carbinol vertices or ether thereof. For R=Ph, stable representatives were synthesized through a pivotal [6]pericyclynedione, and extensively characterized by spectroscopic, electrochemical and crystallographic methods. Density functional theory calculations allow detailed analysis of structural and electronic features of the 7 Å high C26 barrel-shaped molecules, and show that they can behave as cages for ionic species. Beyond aesthetical concerns, the results could open prospects of applications in host-guest supramolecular chemistry and single molecule charge transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongwei Zhu
- LCC-CNRS, University of Toulouse, 205 route de Narbonne, 31077, Toulouse, France
| | - Albert Poater
- Institut de Química Computacional i Catàlisi and, Departament de Química, Universitat de Girona, c/ Maria Aurèlia Capmany 69, 17003, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Carine Duhayon
- LCC-CNRS, University of Toulouse, 205 route de Narbonne, 31077, Toulouse, France
| | - Brice Kauffmann
- CNRS, INSERM, UMS3033/US001, Institut Européen de Chimie Biologie, Université de Bordeaux, 33607, Pessac, France
| | - Alix Saquet
- LCC-CNRS, University of Toulouse, 205 route de Narbonne, 31077, Toulouse, France
| | - Arnaud Rives
- LCC-CNRS, University of Toulouse, 205 route de Narbonne, 31077, Toulouse, France
| | - Valérie Maraval
- LCC-CNRS, University of Toulouse, 205 route de Narbonne, 31077, Toulouse, France
| | - Remi Chauvin
- LCC-CNRS, University of Toulouse, 205 route de Narbonne, 31077, Toulouse, France
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35
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Tang C, Huang L, Sangtarash S, Noori M, Sadeghi H, Xia H, Hong W. Reversible Switching between Destructive and Constructive Quantum Interference Using Atomically Precise Chemical Gating of Single-Molecule Junctions. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:9385-9392. [PMID: 34143603 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c00928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Quantum interference (QI) plays an imperative role in the operation of molecular devices within the phase-coherent length, and it is vital to harness the patterns of QI, i.e., constructive and destructive interference. However, the size of the single-molecule device is too small compared to most gate electrodes. Those gates act like a backgate to affect the molecular component uniformly. Switching the patterns of QI in the same molecular skeleton remains challenging. Here, we develop the atomically precise gating strategy that manipulates the frontier orbitals of molecular components, achieving the complete switching of QI patterns between destructive to constructive QI and leading to a significant conductance modulation at room temperature. The chemical gating effect is exerted locally on the pyridine nitrogen through the selective interaction to cationic reagents, with which we can also control the switching reversibility as desired. We demonstrate the unique effect of atomically precise gating to modulate the quantum interference at the single-molecule scale, opening an avenue to develop new-conceptual electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.,Department of Chemistry, Shenzhen Grubbs Institute, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Longfeng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Sara Sangtarash
- School of Engineering, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Mohammed Noori
- School of Engineering, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Hatef Sadeghi
- School of Engineering, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Haiping Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.,Department of Chemistry, Shenzhen Grubbs Institute, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
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36
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Naher M, Milan DC, Al-Owaedi OA, Planje IJ, Bock S, Hurtado-Gallego J, Bastante P, Abd Dawood ZM, Rincón-García L, Rubio-Bollinger G, Higgins SJ, Agraït N, Lambert CJ, Nichols RJ, Low PJ. Molecular Structure-(Thermo)electric Property Relationships in Single-Molecule Junctions and Comparisons with Single- and Multiple-Parameter Models. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:3817-3829. [PMID: 33606524 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c11605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The most probable single-molecule conductance of each member of a series of 12 conjugated molecular wires, 6 of which contain either a ruthenium or platinum center centrally placed within the backbone, has been determined. The measurement of a small, positive Seebeck coefficient has established that transmission through these molecules takes place by tunneling through the tail of the HOMO resonance near the middle of the HOMO-LUMO gap in each case. Despite the general similarities in the molecular lengths and frontier-orbital compositions, experimental and computationally determined trends in molecular conductance values across this series cannot be satisfactorily explained in terms of commonly discussed "single-parameter" models of junction conductance. Rather, the trends in molecular conductance are better rationalized from consideration of the complete molecular junction, with conductance values well described by transport calculations carried out at the DFT level of theory, on the basis of the Landauer-Büttiker model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masnun Naher
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - David C Milan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Oday A Al-Owaedi
- Department of Laser Physics, College of Science for Girls, The University of Babylon, Hilla 51001, Iraq
| | - Inco J Planje
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Sören Bock
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Juan Hurtado-Gallego
- Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid E-28049, Spain
| | - Pablo Bastante
- Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid E-28049, Spain
| | - Zahra Murtada Abd Dawood
- Department of Laser Physics, College of Science for Girls, The University of Babylon, Hilla 51001, Iraq
| | - Laura Rincón-García
- Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid E-28049, Spain
| | - Gabino Rubio-Bollinger
- Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid E-28049, Spain.,Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC) and Instituto Universitario de Ciencia de Materiales "Nicolás Cabrera" (INC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Simon J Higgins
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Nicolás Agraït
- Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid E-28049, Spain.,Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC) and Instituto Universitario de Ciencia de Materiales "Nicolás Cabrera" (INC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados en Nanociencia IMDEA-Nanociencia, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Colin J Lambert
- Department of Physics, University of Lancaster, Lancaster LA1 4YB, U.K
| | - Richard J Nichols
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Paul J Low
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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37
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Anderson HL, Patrick CW, Scriven LM, Woltering SL. A Short History of Cyclocarbons. BULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN 2021. [DOI: 10.1246/bcsj.20200345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Harry L. Anderson
- Department of Chemistry, Oxford University, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Connor W. Patrick
- Department of Chemistry, Oxford University, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Lorel M. Scriven
- Department of Chemistry, Oxford University, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Steffen L. Woltering
- Department of Chemistry, Oxford University, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
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38
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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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39
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O'Driscoll LJ, Bryce MR. Extended curly arrow rules to rationalise and predict structural effects on quantum interference in molecular junctions. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:1103-1123. [PMID: 33393950 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr07819k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The ability to easily and reliably predict quantum interference (QI) behaviour would facilitate the design of functional molecular wires with potential applications in switches, transistors and thermoelectric devices. A variety of predictive methods exist, but with the exception of computationally-expensive DFT-based charge transport simulations, these often fail to account for the experimentally observed behaviour of molecules that differ significantly in structure from alternant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. By considering a range of prior studies we have developed an extension to predictive "curly arrow rules". We show that, in most cases, these extended curly arrow rules (ECARs) can rationalise the type of QI exhibited by conjugated molecular wires containing heteroatoms, cross-conjugation and/or non-alternant structures. ECARs provide a straightforward "pen-and-paper" method to predict whether a molecular wire will display constructive, destructive or "shifted destructive" QI, i.e. whether or not its transmission function would be expected to show an antiresonance, and if this antiresonance would occur close to the Fermi energy or be shifted elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke J O'Driscoll
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Lower Mountjoy, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Martin R Bryce
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Lower Mountjoy, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
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40
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Wang L, Zhao Z, Shinde DB, Lai Z, Wang D. Modulation of destructive quantum interference by bridge groups in truxene-based single-molecule junctions. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:667-670. [PMID: 33346271 DOI: 10.1039/d0cc07438a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Electron transport properties of polycyclic truxene derivatives have been investigated by the single molecule conductance measurement technique and theoretical study. Molecules with nitrogen and carbonyl substituents at the bridge sites exhibit higher single-molecule conductances by almost one order of magnitude compared with non-substituted analogues. It can be ascribed that the anti-resonance feature produced by destructive quantum interference (DQI) is alleviated and pushed away from the Fermi energy. These findings provide an effective chemical strategy for manipulating the DQI behavior in single molecular devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wang
- School of Materials Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Zhihao Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100190, China. and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Digambar B Shinde
- Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials Center, Division of Physical Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zhiping Lai
- Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials Center, Division of Physical Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Dong Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100190, China. and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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41
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Li J, Shen P, Zhen S, Tang C, Ye Y, Zhou D, Hong W, Zhao Z, Tang BZ. Mechanical single-molecule potentiometers with large switching factors from ortho-pentaphenylene foldamers. Nat Commun 2021; 12:167. [PMID: 33420002 PMCID: PMC7794330 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20311-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular potentiometers that can indicate displacement-conductance relationship, and predict and control molecular conductance are of significant importance but rarely developed. Herein, single-molecule potentiometers are designed based on ortho-pentaphenylene. The ortho-pentaphenylene derivatives with anchoring groups adopt multiple folded conformers and undergo conformational interconversion in solutions. Solvent-sensitive multiple conductance originating from different conformers is recorded by scanning tunneling microscopy break junction technique. These pseudo-elastic folded molecules can be stretched and compressed by mechanical force along with a variable conductance by up to two orders of magnitude, providing an impressively higher switching factor (114) than the reported values (ca. 1~25). The multichannel conductance governed by through-space and through-bond conducting pathways is rationalized as the charge transport mechanism for the folded ortho-pentaphenylene derivatives. These findings shed light on exploring robust single-molecule potentiometers based on helical structures, and are conducive to fundamental understanding of charge transport in higher-order helical molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinshi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, 510640, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pingchuan Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, 510640, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shijie Zhen
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, 510640, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chun Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, China
| | - Yiling Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, China
| | - Dahai Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, China.
| | - Zujin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, 510640, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Ben Zhong Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, 510640, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
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42
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Polakovsky A, Showman J, Valdiviezo J, Palma JL. Quantum interference enhances rectification behavior of molecular devices. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:1550-1557. [DOI: 10.1039/d0cp05801g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A theoretical and computational study of the effect of quantum interference on the rectification behavior of unimolecular devices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Janai Showman
- Department of Chemistry
- The Pennsylvania State University
- Lemont Furnace
- USA
| | | | - Julio L. Palma
- Department of Chemistry
- The Pennsylvania State University
- Lemont Furnace
- USA
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43
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Ganguly S, Maiti SK. Electronic transport through a driven quantum wire: possible tuning of junction current, circular current and induced local magnetic field. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2020; 33:045301. [PMID: 33065558 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/abc200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We propose a new route of getting controlled electron transmission through a molecular wire having a single loop geometry, by irradiating the loop with an arbitrarily polarized light. Along with conventional junction current, a new current called bias driven circular current can be established in the loop under certain conditions depending on the junction configuration. This current, on the other hand, induces a strong magnetic field that can even reach to few tesla. All the physical phenomena can be regulated selectively by adjusting the irradiation parameters. In addition, we put forward another new route of regulating transport behavior by introducing a new path due to the proximity of the contact electrodes for a typical junction configuration. Employing a tight-binding framework, we include the effect of light irradiation within a minimal coupling scheme following the well known Floquet ansatz. Using the wave-guide theory we compute two-terminal transmission probability, and the currents are determined through the Landauer-Büttiker formalism. The present analysis may be utilized to investigate transport phenomena in any other molecular wires as well as tailor-made geometries having simple and/or complex loop sub-structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudin Ganguly
- Physics and Applied Mathematics Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203 Barrackpore Trunk Road, Kolkata-700 108, India
| | - Santanu K Maiti
- Physics and Applied Mathematics Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203 Barrackpore Trunk Road, Kolkata-700 108, India
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44
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Chen LC, Zheng J, Liu J, Gong XT, Chen ZZ, Guo RX, Huang X, Zhang YP, Zhang L, Li R, Shao X, Hong W, Zhang HL. Nonadditive Transport in Multi-Channel Single-Molecule Circuits. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2002808. [PMID: 32851802 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202002808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
As stated in the classic Kirchhoff's circuit laws, the total conductance of two parallel channels in an electronic circuit is the sum of the individual conductance. However, in molecular circuits, the quantum interference (QI) between the individual channels may lead to apparent invalidity of Kirchhoff's laws. Such an effect can be very significant in single-molecule circuits consisting of partially overlapped multiple transport channels. Herein, an investigation on how the molecular circuit conductance correlates to the individual channels is conducted in the presence of QI. It is found that the conductance of multi-channel circuit consisting of both constructive and destructive QI is significantly smaller than the addition of individual ones due to the interference between channels. In contrast, the circuit consisting of destructive QI channels exhibits an additive transport. These investigations provide a new cognition of transport mechanism and manipulation of transport in multi-channel molecular circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Chuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, P. R. China
| | - Jueting Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChem Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Junyang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChem Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Ting Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, P. R. China
| | - Zi-Zhen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, P. R. China
| | - Rui-Xue Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChem Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, P. R. China
| | - Lei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, P. R. China
| | - Ruihao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChem Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Xiangfeng Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, P. R. China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChem Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Hao-Li Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, P. R. China
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45
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Grace IM, Olsen G, Hurtado-Gallego J, Rincón-García L, Rubio-Bollinger G, Bryce MR, Agraït N, Lambert CJ. Connectivity dependent thermopower of bridged biphenyl molecules in single-molecule junctions. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:14682-14688. [PMID: 32618309 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr04001k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We report measurements on gold|single-molecule|gold junctions, using a modified scanning tunneling microscope-break junction (STM-BJ) technique, of the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductance of a series of bridged biphenyl molecules, with meta connectivities to pyridyl anchor groups. These data are compared with a previously reported study of para-connected analogues. In agreement with a tight binding model, the electrical conductance of the meta series is relatively low and is sensitive to the nature of the bridging groups, whereas in the para case the conductance is higher and relatively insensitive to the presence of the bridging groups. This difference in sensitivity arises from the presence of destructive quantum interference in the π system of the unbridged aromatic core, which is alleviated to different degrees by the presence of bridging groups. More precisely, the Seebeck coefficient of meta-connected molecules was found to vary between -6.1 μV K-1 and -14.1 μV K-1, whereas that of the para-connected molecules varied from -5.5 μV K-1 and -9.0 μV K-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain M Grace
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, UK.
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46
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Ismael A, Wang X, Bennett TLR, Wilkinson LA, Robinson BJ, Long NJ, Cohen LF, Lambert CJ. Tuning the thermoelectrical properties of anthracene-based self-assembled monolayers. Chem Sci 2020; 11:6836-6841. [PMID: 33033599 PMCID: PMC7504895 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc02193h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
It is known that the electrical conductance of single molecules can be controlled in a deterministic manner by chemically varying their anchor groups to external electrodes. Here, by employing synthetic methodologies to vary the terminal anchor groups around aromatic anthracene cores, and by forming self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of the resulting molecules, we demonstrate that this method of control can be translated into cross-plane SAM-on-gold molecular films. The cross-plane conductance of SAMs formed from anthracene-based molecules with four different combinations of anchors are measured to differ by a factor of approximately 3 in agreement with theoretical predictions. We also demonstrate that the Seebeck coefficient of such films can be boosted by more than an order of magnitude by an appropriate choice of anchor groups and that both positive and negative Seebeck coefficients can be realised. This demonstration that the thermoelectric properties of SAMs are controlled by their anchor groups represents a critical step towards functional ultra-thin-film devices for future molecular-scale electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Ismael
- Physics Department , Lancaster University , Lancaster , LA1 4YB , UK . ;
- Department of Physics , College of Education for Pure Science , Tikrit University , Tikrit , Iraq .
| | - Xintai Wang
- Physics Department , Lancaster University , Lancaster , LA1 4YB , UK . ;
- The Blackett Laboratory , Imperial College London , South Kensington Campus , London , SW7 2AZ , UK .
| | - Troy L R Bennett
- Department of Chemistry , Imperial College London , MSRH , White City , London , W12 0BZ , UK .
| | - Luke A Wilkinson
- Department of Chemistry , Imperial College London , MSRH , White City , London , W12 0BZ , UK .
| | | | - Nicholas J Long
- Department of Chemistry , Imperial College London , MSRH , White City , London , W12 0BZ , UK .
| | - Lesley F Cohen
- The Blackett Laboratory , Imperial College London , South Kensington Campus , London , SW7 2AZ , UK .
| | - Colin J Lambert
- Physics Department , Lancaster University , Lancaster , LA1 4YB , UK . ;
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Wu XH, Chen F, Yan F, Pei LQ, Hou R, Horsley JR, Abell AD, Zhou XS, Yu J, Li DF, Jin S, Mao BW. Constructing Dual-Molecule Junctions to Probe Intermolecular Crosstalk. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:30584-30590. [PMID: 32538608 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c01556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Understanding and controlling charge transport across multiple parallel molecules are fundamental to the creation of innovative functional electronic components, as future molecular devices will likely be multimolecular. The smallest possible molecular ensemble to address this challenge is a dual-molecule junction device, which has potential to unravel the effects of intermolecular crosstalk on electronic transport at the molecular level that cannot be elucidated using either conventional single-molecule or self-assembled monolayer (SAM) techniques. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication of a scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) dual-molecule junction device, which utilizes noncovalent interactions and allows for direct comparison to the conventional STM single-molecule device. STM-break junction (BJ) measurements reveal a decrease in conductance of 10% per molecule from the dual-molecule to the single-molecule junction device. Quantum transport simulations indicate that this decrease is attributable to intermolecular crosstalk (i.e., intermolecular π-π interactions), with possible contributions from substrate-mediated coupling (i.e., molecule-electrode). This study provides the first experimental evidence to interpret intermolecular crosstalk in electronic transport at the STM-BJ level and translates the experimental observations into meaningful molecular information to enhance our fundamental knowledge of this subject matter. This approach is pertinent to the design and development of future multimolecular electronic components and also to other dual-molecular systems where such crosstalk is mediated by various noncovalent intermolecular interactions (e.g., electrostatic and hydrogen bonding).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Hui Wu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Fang Chen
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Reactive Chemistry on Solid Surfaces, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang 321004, China
| | - Feng Yan
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Lin-Qi Pei
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Rong Hou
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - John R Horsley
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, Department of Chemistry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Andrew D Abell
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, Department of Chemistry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Xiao-Shun Zhou
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Reactive Chemistry on Solid Surfaces, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang 321004, China
| | - Jingxian Yu
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, Department of Chemistry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Dong-Feng Li
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Shan Jin
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Bing-Wei Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces and Department of Chemistry, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
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48
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Plaszkó NL, Rakyta P, Cserti J, Kormányos A, Lambert CJ. Quantum Interference and Nonequilibrium Josephson Currents in Molecular Andreev Interferometers. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 10:E1033. [PMID: 32481631 PMCID: PMC7420291 DOI: 10.3390/nano10061033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
We study the quantum interference (QI) effects in three-terminal Andreev interferometers based on polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) under non-equilibrium conditions. The Andreev interferometer consists of a PAH coupled to two superconducting and one normal conducting terminals. We calculate the current measured in the normal lead as well as the current between the superconducting terminals under non-equilibrium conditions. We show that both the QI arising in the PAH cores and the bias voltage applied to a normal contact have a fundamental effect on the charge distribution associated with the Andreev Bound States (ABSs). QI can lead to a peculiar dependence of the normal current on the superconducting phase difference that was not observed in earlier studies of mesoscopic Andreev interferometers. We explain our results by an induced asymmetry in the spatial distribution of the electron- and hole-like quasiparticles. The non-equilibrium charge occupation induced in the central PAH core can result in a π transition in the current-phase relation of the supercurrent for large enough applied bias voltage on the normal lead. The asymmetry in the spatial distribution of the electron- and hole-like quasiparticles might be used to split Cooper pairs and hence to produce entangled electrons in four terminal setups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noel L. Plaszkó
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest 1095, Pázmány P. s. 1/A, Hungary; (N.L.P.); (P.R.); (J.C.)
| | - Peter Rakyta
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest 1095, Pázmány P. s. 1/A, Hungary; (N.L.P.); (P.R.); (J.C.)
| | - József Cserti
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest 1095, Pázmány P. s. 1/A, Hungary; (N.L.P.); (P.R.); (J.C.)
| | - Andor Kormányos
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest 1095, Pázmány P. s. 1/A, Hungary; (N.L.P.); (P.R.); (J.C.)
| | - Colin J. Lambert
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK
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49
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Wang X, Bennett TLR, Ismael A, Wilkinson LA, Hamill J, White AJP, Grace IM, Kolosov OV, Albrecht T, Robinson BJ, Long NJ, Cohen LF, Lambert CJ. Scale-Up of Room-Temperature Constructive Quantum Interference from Single Molecules to Self-Assembled Molecular-Electronic Films. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:8555-8560. [PMID: 32343894 PMCID: PMC7588028 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b13578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The realization of self-assembled molecular-electronic films, whose room-temperature transport properties are controlled by quantum interference (QI), is an essential step in the scale-up of QI effects from single molecules to parallel arrays of molecules. Recently, the effect of destructive QI (DQI) on the electrical conductance of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) has been investigated. Here, through a combined experimental and theoretical investigation, we demonstrate chemical control of different forms of constructive QI (CQI) in cross-plane transport through SAMs and assess its influence on cross-plane thermoelectricity in SAMs. It is known that the electrical conductance of single molecules can be controlled in a deterministic manner, by chemically varying their connectivity to external electrodes. Here, by employing synthetic methodologies to vary the connectivity of terminal anchor groups around aromatic anthracene cores, and by forming SAMs of the resulting molecules, we clearly demonstrate that this signature of CQI can be translated into SAM-on-gold molecular films. We show that the conductance of vertical molecular junctions formed from anthracene-based molecules with two different connectivities differ by a factor of approximately 16, in agreement with theoretical predictions for their conductance ratio based on CQI effects within the core. We also demonstrate that for molecules with thioether anchor groups, the Seebeck coefficient of such films is connectivity dependent and with an appropriate choice of connectivity can be boosted by ∼50%. This demonstration of QI and its influence on thermoelectricity in SAMs represents a critical step toward functional ultra-thin-film devices for future thermoelectric and molecular-scale electronics applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xintai Wang
- Physics
Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, U.K.
- The
Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Troy L. R. Bennett
- Department
of Chemistry, Imperial College London, MSRH, White City, London W12 0BZ, U.K.
| | - Ali Ismael
- Physics
Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, U.K.
- Department
of Physics, College of Education for Pure Science, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq
| | - Luke A. Wilkinson
- Department
of Chemistry, Imperial College London, MSRH, White City, London W12 0BZ, U.K.
| | - Joseph Hamill
- Department
of Chemistry, Birmingham University, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, U.K.
| | - Andrew J. P. White
- Department
of Chemistry, Imperial College London, MSRH, White City, London W12 0BZ, U.K.
| | - Iain M. Grace
- Physics
Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, U.K.
| | - Oleg V. Kolosov
- Physics
Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, U.K.
| | - Tim Albrecht
- Department
of Chemistry, Birmingham University, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, U.K.
| | | | - Nicholas J. Long
- Department
of Chemistry, Imperial College London, MSRH, White City, London W12 0BZ, U.K.
| | - Lesley F. Cohen
- The
Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Colin J. Lambert
- Physics
Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, U.K.
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50
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Shen P, Huang M, Qian J, Li J, Ding S, Zhou X, Xu B, Zhao Z, Tang BZ. Achieving Efficient Multichannel Conductance in Through‐Space Conjugated Single‐Molecule Parallel Circuits. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202000061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pingchuan Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and DevicesGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular AggregatesSouth China University of Technology Guangzhou 510640 China
| | - Miaoling Huang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis MaterialsInstitute of Physical ChemistryZhejiang Normal University Jinhua Zhejiang 321004 China
| | - Jingyu Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and MaterialsJilin University 2699 Qianjin Street Changchun 130012 China
| | - Jinshi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and DevicesGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular AggregatesSouth China University of Technology Guangzhou 510640 China
| | - Siyang Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and DevicesGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular AggregatesSouth China University of Technology Guangzhou 510640 China
| | - Xiao‐Shun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis MaterialsInstitute of Physical ChemistryZhejiang Normal University Jinhua Zhejiang 321004 China
| | - Bin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and MaterialsJilin University 2699 Qianjin Street Changchun 130012 China
| | - Zujin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and DevicesGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular AggregatesSouth China University of Technology Guangzhou 510640 China
| | - Ben Zhong Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and DevicesGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular AggregatesSouth China University of Technology Guangzhou 510640 China
- Department of ChemistryThe Hong Kong University of Science & Technology Clear Water Bay Kowloon, Hong Kong China
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