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Diez-Cabanes V, Granados-Tavera K, Shere I, Cárdenas-Jirón G, Maurin G. Engineering MOF/carbon nitride heterojunctions for effective dual photocatalytic CO 2 conversion and oxygen evolution reactions. Chem Sci 2024:d4sc03630a. [PMID: 39246361 PMCID: PMC11376056 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc03630a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Photocatalysis appears as one of the most promising avenues to shift towards sustainable sources of energy, owing to its ability to transform solar light into chemical energy, e.g. production of chemical fuels via oxygen evolution (OER) and CO2 reduction (CO2RR) reactions. Ti metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and graphitic carbon nitride derivatives, i.e. poly-heptazine imides (PHI) are appealing CO2RR and OER photo-catalysts respectively. Engineering of an innovative Z-scheme heterojunction by assembling a Ti-MOF and PHI offers an unparalleled opportunity to mimick an artificial photosynthesis device for dual CO2RR/OER catalysis. Along this path, understanding of the photophysical processes controlling the MOF/PHI interfacial charge recombination is vital to fine tune the electronic and chemical features of the two components and devise the optimum heterojunction. To address this challenge, we developed a modelling approach integrating force field Molecular Dynamics (MD), Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) and Non-Equilibrium Green Function DFT (NEGF-DFT) tools with the aim of systematically exploring the structuring, the opto-electronic and transport properties of MOF/PHI heterojunctions. We revealed that the nature of the MOF/PHI interactions, the interfacial charge transfer directionality and the absorption energy windows of the resulting heterojunctions can be fine tuned by incorporating Cu species in the MOF and/or doping PHI with mono- or divalent cations. Interestingly, we demonstrated that the interfacial charge transfer can be further boosted by engineering MOF/PHI device junctions and application of negative bias. Overall, our generalizable computational methodology unravelled that the performance of CO2RR/OER photoreactors can be optimized by chemical and electronic tuning of the components but also by device design based on reliable structure-property rules, paving the way towards practical exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kevin Granados-Tavera
- ICGM, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM Montpellier 34293 France
- Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, University of Santiago de Chile (USACH) 9170022 Santiago Chile
| | - Inderdip Shere
- ICGM, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM Montpellier 34293 France
| | - Gloria Cárdenas-Jirón
- Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, University of Santiago de Chile (USACH) 9170022 Santiago Chile
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2
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Taherinia D, Frisbie CD. Deciphering I-V characteristics in molecular electronics with the benefit of an analytical model. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:32305-32316. [PMID: 37991400 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03877g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
We share our perspective that a simple analytical model for electron tunneling in molecular junctions can greatly aid quantitative analysis of experimental data in molecular electronics. In particular, the single-level model (SLM), derived from first principles, provides a precise prediction for the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics in terms of key electronic structure parameters, which in turn depend on the molecular and contact architecture. SLM analysis thus facilitates understanding of structure-property relationships and provides metrics that can be compared across different types of tunnel junctions, as we illustrate with several examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davood Taherinia
- Department of Chemistry, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11155-9516, Iran
| | - C Daniel Frisbie
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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3
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Huang GQ, Jin YX, Luo SZ, Fu ZH, Wang GE, Xu G. Cascading Photoelectric Detecting and Chemiresistive Gas-Sensing Properties of Pb 5 S 2 I 6 Nanowire Mesh for Multi-Factor Accurate Fire Alarm. SMALL METHODS 2022; 6:e2200470. [PMID: 35732956 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202200470] [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: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Accurate fire warning is very important for people's life and property safety. The most commonly used fire alarm is based on the detection of a single factor of gases, smoke particles, or temperature, which easily causes false alarm due to complex environmental conditions. A facile multi-factor route for fabricating an accurate analog fire alarm using a Pb5 S2 I6 nanowire mesh based on its photoelectric and gas-sensing dual function is presented. The Pb5 S2 I6 nanowire mesh presents excellent photoelectric detection capabilities and is sensitive to ppm-level NO2 at room temperature. Under the "two-step verification" circuit of light and gas factors, the bimodal simulation fire alarm based on this Pb5 S2 I6 nanowire mesh can resist the interference of complex environmental factors and effectively reduce the false alarm rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gui-Qian Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Ying-Xue Jin
- 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 (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shao-Zhen Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350007, China
| | - Zhi-Hua Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Guan-E Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China
| | - Gang Xu
- 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 and Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350108, China
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
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4
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Wu Y, Liao B, Wang G, Bian B. Electronic Transport Induced by Rotating Molecule in Molecular Devices. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY A 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s003602442214028x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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5
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Salazar E, Reinink S, Faraji S. Providing theoretical insight into the role of symmetry in the photoisomerization mechanism of a non-symmetric dithienylethene photoswitch. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:11592-11602. [PMID: 35531648 PMCID: PMC9116444 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp00550f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Dithienylethene (DTE) molecular photoswitches have shown to be excellent candidates in the design of efficient optoelectronic devices, due to their high photoisomerization quantum yield (QY), for which symmetry is suggested to play a crucial role. Here, we present a theoretical study on the photochemistry of a non-symmetric dithienylethene photoswitch, with a special emphasis on the effect of asymmetric substitution on the photocyclization and photoreversion mechanisms. We used the Spin-Flip Time Dependent Density Functional Theory (SF-TDDFT) method to locate and characterize the main structures (conical intersections and minima) of the ground state and the first two excited states, S1 and S2, along the ring-opening/closure reaction coordinate of the photocyclization and photoreversion processes, and to identify the important coordinates governing the radiationless decay pathways. Our results suggest that while the main features that characterize the photoisomerization of symmetric DTEs are also present for the photoisomerization of the non-symmetric DTE, the lower energy barrier on S1 along the cycloreversion reaction speaks in favor of a more efficient and therefore a higher cycloreversion QY for the non-symmetric DTEs, making them a better candidate for molecular optoelectronic devices than their symmetric counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edison Salazar
- Theoretical Chemistry, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AG GroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Suzanne Reinink
- Theoretical Chemistry, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AG GroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Shirin Faraji
- Theoretical Chemistry, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of GroningenNijenborgh 49747 AG GroningenThe Netherlands
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6
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Prudkovskiy V, Arbouch I, Léaustic A, Yu P, Van Dyck C, Guérin D, Lenfant S, Mallah T, Cornil J, Vuillaume D. Terphenylthiazole-based self-assembled monolayers on cobalt with high conductance photo-switching ratio for spintronics. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:5725-5742. [PMID: 35348166 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr00591c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Two new photo-switchable terphenylthiazole molecules are synthesized and self-assembled as monolayers on Au and on ferromagnetic Co electrodes. The electron transport properties probed by conductive atomic force microscopy in ultra-high vacuum reveal a larger conductance of the light-induced closed (c) form than for the open (o) form. We report an unprecedented conductance ratio of up to 380 between the closed and open forms on Co for the molecule with the anchoring group (thiol) on the side of the two N atoms of the thiazole unit. This result is rationalized by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations coupled to the Non-Equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism. These calculations show that the high conductance in the closed form is due to a strong electronic coupling between the terphenylthiazole molecules and the Co electrode that manifests by a resonant transmission peak at the Fermi energy of the Co electrode with a large broadening. This behavior is not observed for the same molecules self-assembled on gold electrodes. These high conductance ratios make these Co-based molecular junctions attractive candidates to develop and study switchable molecular spintronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Prudkovskiy
- Institute for Electronics Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN), CNRS, Av. Poincaré, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
| | - Imane Arbouch
- Laboratory for Chemistry of Novel Materials, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
| | - Anne Léaustic
- Institut de Chimie Moléculaire et des Matériaux d'Orsay (ICMMO), CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France.
| | - Pei Yu
- Institut de Chimie Moléculaire et des Matériaux d'Orsay (ICMMO), CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France.
| | - Colin Van Dyck
- Laboratory for Chemistry of Novel Materials, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
| | - David Guérin
- Institute for Electronics Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN), CNRS, Av. Poincaré, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
| | - Stéphane Lenfant
- Institute for Electronics Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN), CNRS, Av. Poincaré, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
| | - Talal Mallah
- Institut de Chimie Moléculaire et des Matériaux d'Orsay (ICMMO), CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France.
| | - Jérôme Cornil
- Laboratory for Chemistry of Novel Materials, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
| | - Dominique Vuillaume
- Institute for Electronics Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN), CNRS, Av. Poincaré, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
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7
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Bustamante CM, Scherlis DA. Doping and coupling strength in molecular conductors: polyacetylene as a case study. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:26974-26980. [PMID: 34842869 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp04728k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The doping mechanisms responsible for elevating the currents up to eleven orders of magnitude in semiconducting polymer films are today well characterized. Doping can also improve the performance of nanoscale devices or single molecule conductors, but the mechanism in this case appears to be different, with theoretical studies suggesting that the dopant affects the electronic properties of the junctions. In the present report, multiscale time-dependent DFT transport simulations help clarify the way in which n-type doping can raise the current flowing through a polymer chain connected to a pair of electrodes, with the focus on polyacetylene. In particular, our multiscale methodology offers control over the magnitude of the chemical coupling between the molecule and the electrodes, which allows us to analyze the effect of doping in low and strong coupling regimes. Interestingly, our results establish that the impact of dopants is the highest in weakly coupled devices, while their presence tends to be irrelevant in low-resistance junctions. Our calculations point out that both the equalization of the frontier orbitals with the Fermi level and a small gap between the HOMO and the LUMO must result from doping in order to observe any significant increase of the currents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos M Bustamante
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física/INQUIMAE, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires (C1428EHA), Argentina.
| | - Damián A Scherlis
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física/INQUIMAE, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires (C1428EHA), Argentina.
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8
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Djurišić I, Jovanović VP, Dražić MS, Tomović AŽ, Zikic R. Predicting Finite-Bias Tunneling Current Properties from Zero-Bias Features: The Frontier Orbital Bias Dependence at an Exemplar Case of DNA Nucleotides in a Nanogap. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 11:nano11113021. [PMID: 34835784 PMCID: PMC8624643 DOI: 10.3390/nano11113021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The electrical current properties of single-molecule sensing devices based on electronic (tunneling) transport strongly depend on molecule frontier orbital energy, spatial distribution, and position with respect to the electrodes. Here, we present an analysis of the bias dependence of molecule frontier orbital properties at an exemplar case of DNA nucleotides in the gap between H-terminated (3, 3) carbon nanotube (CNT) electrodes and its relation to transversal current rectification. The electronic transport properties of this simple single-molecule device, whose characteristic is the absence of covalent bonding between electrodes and a molecule between them, were obtained using density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green's functions. As in our previous studies, we could observe two distinct bias dependences of frontier orbital energies: the so-called strong and the weak pinning regimes. We established a procedure, from zero-bias and empty-gap characteristics, to estimate finite-bias electronic tunneling transport properties, i.e., whether the molecular junction would operate in the weak or strong pinning regime. We also discuss the use of the zero-bias approximation to calculate electric current properties at finite bias. The results from this work could have an impact on the design of new single-molecule applications that use tunneling current or rectification applicable in high-sensitivity sensors, protein, or DNA sequencing.
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9
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Li S, Jiang Y, Wang Y, Sanvito S, Hou S. In Situ Tuning of the Charge-Carrier Polarity in Imidazole-Linked Single-Molecule Junctions. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:7596-7604. [PMID: 34347489 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c01996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Manipulating the nature of the charge carriers at the single-molecule level is one of the major challenges of molecular electronics. Using first-principles quantum transport calculations, we have investigated the electronic transport properties of imidazole-linked single-molecule junctions and identified the hydrogen atom bonded to the pyrrole-like nitrogen in imidazole as a switch to tune the polarity of the charge carriers. Our calculations show that the chemical nature of the imidazole anchors is dramatically altered by dehydrogenation, which changes the dominant charge carriers from electrons to holes. It is also revealed that upon dehydrogenation the interfacial Au-N bonds are modified from donor-acceptor-like to covalent, along with a significant promotion of the low-bias conductance and the junction stability. At variance with other traditional methods that always require drastic modifications of the junction structure, our findings provide a promising approach to tailor in situ the polarity of charge carriers in molecular electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Li
- Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yuxuan Jiang
- Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yongfeng Wang
- Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Stefano Sanvito
- School of Physics, AMBER and CRANN Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Shimin Hou
- Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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10
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Diez Cabanes V, Van Dyck C, Osella S, Cornil D, Cornil J. Challenges for Incorporating Optical Switchability in Organic-Based Electronic Devices. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:27737-27748. [PMID: 34105343 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c05489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Transistors operate by controlling the current flowing from a source to a drain electrode via a third electrode (gate), thus giving access to a binary treatment (ON/OFF or 0/1) of the signal currently exploited in microelectronics. Introducing a second independent lever to modulate the current would allow for more complex logic functions amenable to a single electronic component and hence to new opportunities for advanced electrical signal processing. One avenue is to add this second dimension with light by incorporating photochromic molecules in current organic-based electronic devices. In this Spotlight, we describe different concepts that have been implemented in organic thin films and in molecular junctions as well as some pitfalls that have been highlighted thanks to theoretical modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Diez Cabanes
- Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie Théoriques, Université de Lorraine & CNRS, 54000 Nancy, France
| | - Colin Van Dyck
- Laboratory for Chemistry of Novel Materials, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Silvio Osella
- Chemical and Biological Systems Simulation Lab, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warszawa, Poland
| | - David Cornil
- Laboratory for Chemistry of Novel Materials, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Jérôme Cornil
- Laboratory for Chemistry of Novel Materials, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
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11
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Thomas L, Arbouch I, Guérin D, Wallart X, van Dyck C, Mélin T, Cornil J, Vuillaume D, Lenfant S. Conductance switching of azobenzene-based self-assembled monolayers on cobalt probed by UHV conductive-AFM. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:6977-6990. [PMID: 33885499 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr00106j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We report the formation of self-assembled monolayers of a molecular photoswitch (azobenzene-bithiophene derivative, AzBT) on cobalt via a thiol covalent bond. We study the electrical properties of the molecular junctions formed with the tip of a conductive atomic force microscope under ultra-high vacuum. The statistical analysis of the current-voltage curves shows two distinct states of the molecule conductance, suggesting the coexistence of both the trans and cis azobenzene isomers on the surface. The cis isomer population (trans isomer) increases (decreases) upon UV light irradiation. The situation is reversed under blue light irradiation. The experiments are confronted to first-principle calculations performed on the molecular junctions with the Non-Equilibrium Green's Function formalism combined with Density Functional Theory (NEGF/DFT). The theoretical results consider two different molecular orientations for each isomer. Whereas the orientation does not affect the conductance of the trans isomer, it significantly modulates the conductance of the cis isomer and the resulting conductance ON/OFF ratio of the molecular junction. This helps identifying the molecular orientation at the origin of the observed current differences between the trans and cis forms. The ON state is associated to the trans isomer irrespective of its orientation in the junction, while the OFF state is identified as a cis isomer with its azobenzene moiety folded upward with respect to the bithiophene core. The experimental and calculated ON/OFF conductance ratios have a similar order of magnitude. This conductance ratio seems reasonable to make these Co-AzBT molecular junctions a good test-bed to further explore the relationship between the spin-polarized charge transport, the molecule conformation and the molecule-Co spinterface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Thomas
- Institute of Electronics Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN), CNRS, University of Lille, Avenue Poincaré, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
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12
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Djurišić I, Dražić MS, Tomović AŽ, Spasenović M, Šljivančanin Ž, Jovanović VP, Zikic R. Field Effect and Local Gating in Nitrogen-Terminated Nanopores (NtNP) and Nanogaps (NtNG) in Graphene. Chemphyschem 2021; 22:336-341. [PMID: 33245835 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202000771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Functionalization of electrodes is a wide-used strategy in various applications ranging from single-molecule sensing and protein sequencing, to ion trapping, to desalination. We demonstrate, employing non-equilibrium Green's function formalism combined with density functional theory, that single-species (N, H, S, Cl, F) termination of graphene nanogap electrodes results in a strong in-gap electrostatic field, induced by species-dependent dipoles formed at the electrode ends. Consequently, the field increases or decreases electronic transport through a molecule (benzene) placed in the nanogap by shifting molecular levels by almost 2 eV in respect to the electrode Fermi level via a field effect akin to the one used for field-effect transistors. We also observed the local gating in graphene nanopores terminated with different single-species atoms. Nitrogen-terminated nanogaps (NtNGs) and nanopores (NtNPs) show the strongest effect. The in-gap potential can be transformed from a plateau-like to a saddle-like shape by tailoring NtNG and NtNP size and termination type. In particular, the saddle-like potential is applicable in single-ion trapping and desalination devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Djurišić
- University of Belgrade, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Kneza Višeslava 1, 11030, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Miloš S Dražić
- University of Belgrade, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Kneza Višeslava 1, 11030, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Aleksandar Ž Tomović
- University of Belgrade, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Kneza Višeslava 1, 11030, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marko Spasenović
- University of Belgrade, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Center of Microelectronic Technologies, Njegoševa 12, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Željko Šljivančanin
- University of Belgrade, "Vinča" Institute of Nuclear Sciences - National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, PO Box 522, 11001, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vladimir P Jovanović
- University of Belgrade, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Kneza Višeslava 1, 11030, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Radomir Zikic
- University of Belgrade, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Kneza Višeslava 1, 11030, Belgrade, Serbia
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13
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Thomas L, Guérin D, Quinard B, Jacquet E, Mattana R, Seneor P, Vuillaume D, Mélin T, Lenfant S. Conductance switching at the nanoscale of diarylethene derivative self-assembled monolayers on La 0.7Sr 0.3MnO 3. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:8268-8276. [PMID: 32236177 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr09928j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We report on the phosphonic acid route for the grafting of functional molecules, optical switch (dithienylethene diphosphonic acid, DDA), on La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO). Compact self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of DDA are formed on LSMO as studied by topographic atomic force microscopy (AFM), ellipsometry, water contact angle measurements and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). The conducting AFM measurements show that the electrical conductance of LSMO/DDA is about 3 decades below that of a bare LSMO substrate. Moreover, the presence of the DDA SAM suppresses the known conductance switching of the LSMO substrate that is induced by mechanical and/or bias constraints during C-AFM measurements. A partial light-induced conductance switching between the open and closed forms of the DDA is observed for the LSMO/DDA/C-AFM tip molecular junctions (closed/open conductance ratio of about 8). We show that, in the case of long-time exposure to UV light, this feature can be masked by a non-reversible decrease (a factor of about 15) of the conductance of the LSMO electrode.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Thomas
- Institute for Electronics Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN), CNRS, Univ. Lille, 59652 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
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14
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Taniguchi M. Paving the way to single-molecule chemistry through molecular electronics. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:9641-9650. [PMID: 31062773 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp00264b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Since our understanding of single-molecule junctions, in which single molecules are connected between nanoelectrodes, has deepened, we have paved the way to single-molecule chemistry. Herein, we review fundamental properties, including the number of molecules connected to the electrode, their structure and type, the bonding force between the single molecule and electrode and the thermopower and quantum interference in single-molecule junctions. Additionally, we review the application of single-molecule junctions to biomolecules. Finally, we explore single-molecule chemical reaction analysis, which is one direction of single-molecule junction research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masateru Taniguchi
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, 8-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan.
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15
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Najarian AM, McCreery RL. Long-Range Activationless Photostimulated Charge Transport in Symmetric Molecular Junctions. ACS NANO 2019; 13:867-877. [PMID: 30604970 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b08662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Molecular electronic junctions consisting of nitroazobenzene oligomers covalently bonded to a conducting carbon surface using an established "all-carbon" device design were illuminated with UV-vis light through a partially transparent top electrode. Monitoring junction conductance with a DC bias imposed permitted observation of photocurrents while varying the incident wavelength, light intensity, molecular layer thickness, and temperature. The photocurrent spectrum tracked the in situ absorption spectrum of nitroazobenzene, increased linearly with light intensity, and depended exponentially on applied bias. The electronic characteristics of the photocurrent differed dramatically from those of the same device in the dark, with orders of magnitude higher conductance and very weak attenuation with molecular layer thickness (β = 0.14 nm-1 for thickness above 5 nm). The temperature dependence of the photocurrent was opposite that of the dark current, with a 35% decrease in conductance between 80 and 450 K, while the dark current increased by a factor of 4.5 over the same range. The photocurrent was similar to the dark current for thin molecular layers but greatly exceeded the dark current for low bias and thick molecular layers. We conclude that the light and dark mechanisms are additive, with photoexcited carriers transported without thermal activation for a thickness range of 5-10 nm. The inverse temperature dependence is likely due to scattering or recombination events, both of which increase with temperature and in turn decrease the photocurrent. Photostimulated resonant transport potentially widens the breadth of conceivable molecular electronic devices and may have immediate value for wavelength-specific photodetection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard L McCreery
- Department of Chemistry , University of Alberta , Edmonton , Canada T6G 2R3
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16
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Yang J, Han X, Yuan P, Bian B, Liao B. Influence of spatial distribution of molecule on the switching behavior: A first-principles study. JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL & COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY 2018. [DOI: 10.1142/s0219633618500384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We perform first-principles calculations to investigate the electronic transport properties of chalcone and flavanone molecules sandwiched between graphene electrodes. These two molecules can be reversibly converted between open and closed states induced by pH, and the significant switching behaviors are observed. The currents and switching ratios are influenced by rotating molecules around the [Formula: see text] axis, which are discussed by the transmission eigenstates, electrostatic potential distributions and transmission spectra. The observed negative differential resistance effect is explained in chalcone configuration. The results suggest that spatial distributions of molecules will influence the performance of devices, indicating a potential application in future molecular circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjuan Yang
- School of Science, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoxiao Han
- School of Science, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, P. R. China
| | - Peipei Yuan
- School of Science, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, P. R. China
| | - Baoan Bian
- School of Science, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, P. R. China
| | - Bin Liao
- College of Nuclear Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, P. R. China
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17
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Fu B, Mosquera MA, Schatz GC, Ratner MA, Hsu LY. Photoinduced Anomalous Coulomb Blockade and the Role of Triplet States in Electron Transport through an Irradiated Molecular Transistor. NANO LETTERS 2018; 18:5015-5023. [PMID: 29995424 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b01838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we explore photoinduced electron transport through a molecule weakly coupled to two electrodes by combining first-principles quantum chemistry calculations with a Pauli master equation approach that accounts for many-electron states. In the incoherent limit, we demonstrate that energy-level alignment of triplet and charged states plays a crucial role, even when the rate of intersystem crossing is much smaller than the rate of fluorescence. Furthermore, the field intensity dependence and an upper bound to the photoinduced electric current can be analytically derived in our model. Under an optical field, the conductance spectra (charge stability diagrams) exhibit unusual Coulomb diamonds, which are associated with molecular excited states, and their widths can be expressed in terms of energies of the molecular electronic states. This study offers new directions for exploring optoelectronic response in nanoelectronics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Liang-Yan Hsu
- Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences , Academia Sinica , Taipei 10617 , Taiwan
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18
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Switching and oscillation of current along quinone based molecular device with graphene electrodes. Chem Phys 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphys.2018.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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19
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Rodriguez-Gonzalez S, Xie Z, Galangau O, Selvanathan P, Norel L, Van Dyck C, Costuas K, Frisbie CD, Rigaut S, Cornil J. HOMO Level Pinning in Molecular Junctions: Joint Theoretical and Experimental Evidence. J Phys Chem Lett 2018; 9:2394-2403. [PMID: 29660279 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b00575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A central issue in molecular electronics in order to build functional devices is to assess whether changes in the electronic structure of isolated compounds by chemical derivatization are retained once the molecules are inserted into molecular junctions. Recent theoretical studies have suggested that this is not always the case due to the occurrence of pinning effects making the alignment of the transporting levels insensitive to the changes in the electronic structure of the isolated systems. We explore here this phenomenon by investigating at both the experimental and theoretical levels the I/ V characteristics of molecular junctions incorporating three different three-ring phenylene ethynylene derivatives designed to exhibit a significant variation of the HOMO level in the isolated state. At the theoretical level, our NEGF/DFT calculations performed on junctions including the three compounds show that, whereas the HOMO of the molecules varies by 0.61 eV in the isolated state, their alignment with respect to the Fermi level of the gold electrodes in the junction is very similar (within 0.1 eV). At the experimental level, the SAMs made of the three compounds have been contacted by a conducting AFM probe to measure their I/ V characteristics. The alignment of the HOMO with respect to the Fermi level of the gold electrodes has been deduced by fitting the I/ V curves, using a model based on a single-level description (Newns-Anderson model). The extracted values are found to be very similar for the three derivatives, in full consistency with the theoretical predictions, thus providing clear evidence for a HOMO level pinning effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Rodriguez-Gonzalez
- Laboratory for Chemistry of Novel Materials , University of Mons , B-7000 Mons , Belgium
| | - Z Xie
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science , and Department of Chemistry , University of Minnesota , Minneapolis , Minnesota 55455 , United States
| | - O Galangau
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, ISCR (Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes)-UMR 6226 , Rennes F-3500 , France
| | - P Selvanathan
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, ISCR (Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes)-UMR 6226 , Rennes F-3500 , France
| | - L Norel
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, ISCR (Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes)-UMR 6226 , Rennes F-3500 , France
| | - C Van Dyck
- National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) , University of Alberta , Edmonton , Alberta T6G 2M9 , Canada
| | - K Costuas
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, ISCR (Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes)-UMR 6226 , Rennes F-3500 , France
| | - C D Frisbie
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science , and Department of Chemistry , University of Minnesota , Minneapolis , Minnesota 55455 , United States
| | - S Rigaut
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, ISCR (Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes)-UMR 6226 , Rennes F-3500 , France
| | - J Cornil
- Laboratory for Chemistry of Novel Materials , University of Mons , B-7000 Mons , Belgium
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20
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Koley S, Chakrabarti S. Large Negative Differential Resistance and Rectification from a Donor-σ-Acceptor Molecule in the Presence of Dissimilar Electrodes. Chemistry 2018; 24:5876-5882. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201705683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sayantanu Koley
- Department of Chemistry; University of Calcutta; 92, A. P. C. Road Kolkata 700009 India
| | - Swapan Chakrabarti
- Department of Chemistry; University of Calcutta; 92, A. P. C. Road Kolkata 700009 India
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21
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Diez-Cabanes V, Gonzalez SR, Osella S, Cornil D, Van Dyck C, Cornil J. Energy Level Alignment at Interfaces Between Au (111) and Thiolated Oligophenylenes of Increasing Chain Size: Theoretical Evidence of Pinning Effects. ADVANCED THEORY AND SIMULATIONS 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/adts.201700020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Silvio Osella
- Centre of New Technologies; University of Warsaw; Warszawa 02-097 Poland
| | - David Cornil
- Laboratory for Chemistry of Novel Materials; University of Mons; Mons 7000 Belgium
| | - Colin Van Dyck
- National Institute for Nanotechnology; Edmonton AB T6G 2M9 Canada
| | - Jérôme Cornil
- Laboratory for Chemistry of Novel Materials; University of Mons; Mons 7000 Belgium
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22
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Obersteiner V, Huhs G, Papior N, Zojer E. Unconventional Current Scaling and Edge Effects for Charge Transport through Molecular Clusters. NANO LETTERS 2017; 17:7350-7357. [PMID: 29043825 PMCID: PMC5730946 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b03066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Metal-molecule-metal junctions are the key components of molecular electronics circuits. Gaining a microscopic understanding of their conducting properties is central to advancing the field. In the present contribution, we highlight the fundamental differences between single-molecule and ensemble junctions focusing on the fundamentals of transport through molecular clusters. In this way, we elucidate the collective behavior of parallel molecular wires, bridging the gap between single molecule and large-area monolayer electronics, where even in the latter case transport is usually dominated by finite-size islands. On the basis of first-principles charge-transport simulations, we explain why the scaling of the conductivity of a junction has to be distinctly nonlinear in the number of molecules it contains. Moreover, transport through molecular clusters is found to be highly inhomogeneous with pronounced edge effects determined by molecules in locally different electrostatic environments. These effects are most pronounced for comparably small clusters, but electrostatic considerations show that they prevail also for more extended systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Obersteiner
- Institute
of Solid State Physics, NAWI Graz, Graz
University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Georg Huhs
- Barcelona
Supercomputing Center (BSC), C/Jordi Girona 29, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Humboldt-Universität
zu Berlin, Zum Großen
Windkanal 6, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nick Papior
- Department
of Micro- and Nanotechnology (DTU Nanotech) and Center for Nanostructured
Graphene, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
- Institut Català
de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2), UAB Campus, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Egbert Zojer
- Institute
of Solid State Physics, NAWI Graz, Graz
University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
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23
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Kirk ML, Shultz DA, Zhang J, Dangi R, Ingersol L, Yang J, Finney NS, Sommer RD, Wojtas L. Heterospin biradicals provide insight into molecular conductance and rectification. Chem Sci 2017; 8:5408-5415. [PMID: 28970920 PMCID: PMC5609533 DOI: 10.1039/c7sc00073a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The correlation of electron transfer with molecular conductance (g: electron transport through single molecules) by Nitzan and others has contributed to a fundamental understanding of single-molecule electronic materials. When an unsymmetric, dipolar molecule spans two electrodes, the possibility exists for different conductance values at equal, but opposite electrode biases. In the device configuration, these molecules serve as rectifiers of the current and the efficiency of the device is given by the rectification ratio (RR = gforward/greverse). Experimental determination of the RR is challenging since the orientation of the rectifying molecule with respect to the electrodes and with respect to the electrode bias direction is difficult to establish. Thus, while two different values of g can be measured and a RR calculated, one cannot easily assign each conductance value as being aligned with or opposed to the molecular dipole, and calculations are often required to resolve the uncertainty. Herein, we describe the properties of two isomeric, triplet ground state biradical molecules that serve as constant-bias analogs of single-molecule electronic devices. Through established theoretical relationships between g and electronic coupling, H2, and between H2 and magnetic exchange coupling, J (g ∝ H2 ∝ J), we use the ratio of experimental J-values for our two isomers to calculate a RR for an unsymmetric bridge molecule with known geometry relative to the two radical fragments of the molecule and at a spectroscopically-defined potential bias. Our experimental results are compared with device transport calculations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin L Kirk
- The University of New Mexico , MSC03 2060, 1 University of New Mexico , Albuquerque , New Mexico 87131-0001 , USA .
| | - David A Shultz
- Department of Chemistry , North Carolina State University , Raleigh , North Carolina 27695-8204 , USA .
| | - Jinyuan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry , North Carolina State University , Raleigh , North Carolina 27695-8204 , USA .
| | - Ranjana Dangi
- The University of New Mexico , MSC03 2060, 1 University of New Mexico , Albuquerque , New Mexico 87131-0001 , USA .
| | - Laura Ingersol
- The University of New Mexico , MSC03 2060, 1 University of New Mexico , Albuquerque , New Mexico 87131-0001 , USA .
| | - Jing Yang
- The University of New Mexico , MSC03 2060, 1 University of New Mexico , Albuquerque , New Mexico 87131-0001 , USA .
| | - Nathaniel S Finney
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology , Tianjin University , 505/Building 24, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District , Tianjin , 300072 , P. R. China
| | - Roger D Sommer
- Department of Chemistry , North Carolina State University , Raleigh , North Carolina 27695-8204 , USA .
| | - Lukasz Wojtas
- Department of Chemistry , University of South Florida , 4202 E. Fowler Avenue , CHE 205 Tampa , FL 33620-5250 , USA
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24
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Blok S, Agundez Mojarro RR, Maduro LA, Blaauboer M, Van Der Molen SJ. Inelastic cotunneling with energy-dependent contact transmission. J Chem Phys 2017. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4975809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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25
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Zhao X, Geskin V, Stadler R. Destructive quantum interference in electron transport: A reconciliation of the molecular orbital and the atomic orbital perspective. J Chem Phys 2017. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4972572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
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26
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Vilan A, Cahen D. Chemical Modification of Semiconductor Surfaces for Molecular Electronics. Chem Rev 2017; 117:4624-4666. [PMID: 28230354 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Inserting molecular monolayers within metal/semiconductor interfaces provides one of the most powerful expressions of how minute chemical modifications can affect electronic devices. This topic also has direct importance for technology as it can help improve the efficiency of a variety of electronic devices such as solar cells, LEDs, sensors, and possible future bioelectronic ones. The review covers the main aspects of using chemistry to control the various aspects of interface electrostatics, such as passivation of interface states and alignment of energy levels by intrinsic molecular polarization, as well as charge rearrangement with the adjacent metal and semiconducting contacts. One of the greatest merits of molecular monolayers is their capability to form excellent thin dielectrics, yielding rich and unique current-voltage characteristics for transport across metal/molecular monolayer/semiconductor interfaces. We explain the interplay between the monolayer as tunneling barrier on the one hand, and the electrostatic barrier within the semiconductor, due to its space-charge region, on the other hand, as well as how different monolayer chemistries control each of these barriers. Practical tools to experimentally identify these two barriers and distinguish between them are given, followed by a short look to the future. This review is accompanied by another one, concerning the formation of large-area molecular junctions and charge transport that is dominated solely by molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayelet Vilan
- Department of Materials & Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot, Israel 76100
| | - David Cahen
- Department of Materials & Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot, Israel 76100
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27
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Vilan A, Aswal D, Cahen D. Large-Area, Ensemble Molecular Electronics: Motivation and Challenges. Chem Rev 2017; 117:4248-4286. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ayelet Vilan
- Department
of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - David Cahen
- Department
of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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28
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Ren H, Zhang G, Lin N, Deng L, Luo Y, Huang F. Strong Fermi level pinning induces a high rectification ratio and negative differential resistance in hydrogen bonding bridged single cytidine pair junctions. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:26586-26594. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cp03141b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Strong Fermi level pinning induces a high rectification ratio and negative differential resistance in hydrogen bonding bridged single cytidine pair junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing
- Center for Bioengineering & Biotechnology
- China University of Petroleum (East China)
- Qingdao 266580
- P. R. China
| | - Guangping Zhang
- School of Physics and Electronics
- Shandong Normal University
- Jinan
- P. R. China
| | - Na Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials
- Shandong University
- 250100 Jinan
- P. R. China
| | - Li Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing
- Center for Bioengineering & Biotechnology
- China University of Petroleum (East China)
- Qingdao 266580
- P. R. China
| | - Yi Luo
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at the Microscale and Synergetic Innovation Center of Quantum Information & Quantum Physics
- University of Science and Technology of China
- Hefei
- P. R. China
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology
| | - Fang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing
- Center for Bioengineering & Biotechnology
- China University of Petroleum (East China)
- Qingdao 266580
- P. R. China
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29
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Obersteiner V, Egger D, Zojer E. Impact of Anchoring Groups on Ballistic Transport: Single Molecule vs Monolayer Junctions. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2015; 119:21198-21208. [PMID: 26401191 PMCID: PMC4568541 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b06110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Revised: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Tuning the transport properties of molecular junctions by chemically modifying the molecular structure is one of the key challenges for advancing the field of molecular electronics. In the present contribution, we investigate current-voltage characteristics of differently linked metal-molecule-metal systems that comprise either a single molecule or a molecular assembly. This is achieved by employing density functional theory in conjunction with a Green's function approach. We show that the conductance of a molecular system with a specific anchoring group is fundamentally different depending on whether a single molecule or a continuous monolayer forms the junction. This is a consequence of collective electrostatic effects that arise from dipolar elements contained in the monolayer and from interfacial charge rearrangements. As a consequence of these collective effects, the "ideal" choice for an anchoring group is clearly different for monolayer and single molecule devices. A particularly striking effect is observed for pyridine-docked systems. These are subject to Fermi-level pinning at high molecular packing densities, causing an abrupt increase of the junction current already at small voltages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Obersteiner
- Institute
of Solid State Physics, NAWI Graz, Graz
University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - David
A. Egger
- Institute
of Solid State Physics, NAWI Graz, Graz
University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Department
of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovoth 76100, Israel
| | - Egbert Zojer
- Institute
of Solid State Physics, NAWI Graz, Graz
University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
- E-mail:
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30
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Xie Z, Bâldea I, Smith CE, Wu Y, Frisbie CD. Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of Nanotransport in Oligophenylene Dithiol Junctions as a Function of Molecular Length and Contact Work Function. ACS NANO 2015; 9:8022-8036. [PMID: 26190402 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5b01629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We report the results of an extensive investigation of metal-molecule-metal tunnel junctions based on oligophenylene dithiols (OPDs) bound to several types of electrodes (M1-S-(C6H4)n-S-M2, with 1 ≤ n ≤ 4 and M1,2 = Ag, Au, Pt) to examine the impact of molecular length (n) and metal work function (Φ) on junction properties. Our investigation includes (1) measurements by scanning Kelvin probe microscopy of electrode work function changes (ΔΦ = ΦSAM - Φ) caused by chemisorption of OPD self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), (2) measurements of junction current-voltage (I-V) characteristics by conducting probe atomic force microscopy in the linear and nonlinear bias ranges, and (3) direct quantitative analysis of the full I-V curves. Further, we employ transition voltage spectroscopy (TVS) to estimate the energetic alignment εh = EF - EHOMO of the dominant molecular orbital (HOMO) relative to the Fermi energy EF of the junction. Where photoelectron spectroscopy data are available, the εh values agree very well with those determined by TVS. Using a single-level model, which we justify via ab initio quantum chemical calculations at post-density functional theory level and additional UV-visible absorption measurements, we are able to quantitatively reproduce the I-V measurements in the whole bias range investigated (∼1.0-1.5 V) and to understand the behavior of εh and Γ (contact coupling strength) extracted from experiment. We find that Fermi level pinning induced by the strong dipole of the metal-S bond causes a significant shift of the HOMO energy of an adsorbed molecule, resulting in εh exhibiting a weak dependence with the work function Φ. Both of these parameters play a key role in determining the tunneling attenuation factor (β) and junction resistance (R). Correlation among Φ, ΔΦ, R, transition voltage (Vt), and εh and accurate simulation provide a remarkably complete picture of tunneling transport in these prototypical molecular junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuoti Xie
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Ioan Bâldea
- Theoretische Chemie, Universität Heidelberg , INF 229, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- National Institute of Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Institute of Space Science , POB MG-23, RO 077125 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Christopher E Smith
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Yanfei Wu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - C Daniel Frisbie
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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31
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Van Dyck C, Ratner MA. Molecular rectifiers: a new design based on asymmetric anchoring moieties. NANO LETTERS 2015; 15:1577-1584. [PMID: 25706442 DOI: 10.1021/nl504091v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The quest for a molecular rectifier is among the major challenges of molecular electronics. We introduce three simple rules to design an efficient rectifying molecule and demonstrate its functioning at the theoretical level, relying on the NEGF-DFT technique. The design rules notably require both the introduction of asymmetric anchoring moieties and a decoupling bridge. They lead to a new rectification mechanism based on the compression and control of the HOMO/LUMO gap by the electrode Fermi levels, arising from a pinning effect. Significant rectification ratios up to 2 orders of magnitude are theoretically predicted as the mechanism opposes resonant to nonresonant tunneling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Van Dyck
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University , 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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32
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Irie M, Fukaminato T, Matsuda K, Kobatake S. Photochromism of Diarylethene Molecules and Crystals: Memories, Switches, and Actuators. Chem Rev 2014; 114:12174-277. [DOI: 10.1021/cr500249p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1755] [Impact Index Per Article: 175.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Irie
- Research
Center for Smart Molecules, Rikkyo University, Nishi-Ikebukuro 3-34-1, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8501, Japan
| | - Tuyoshi Fukaminato
- Research
Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, N20, W10, Kita-ku,
Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsuda
- Department
of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of
Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Seiya Kobatake
- Department
of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka City University, Sugimoto 3-3-138, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan
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33
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Building block synthesis of predominantly (E) symmetrical and unsymmetrical 1,2-difluorostilbenes from 1,2-dibromo-1,2-difluoroethene. Tetrahedron 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2013.10.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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