Electronic transport, transition-voltage spectroscopy, and the Fano effect in single molecule junctions composed of a biphenyl molecule attached to metallic and semiconducting carbon nanotube electrodes

Molecular junction by tunneling in 1D and quasi-1D systems

We have investigated electron tunneling through two one-dimensional (1D) molecular junctions based on first-principles simulations using the density functional theory combined with the non-equilibrium Green's functions methodology. The first junction, composed of left and right carbyne wire electrodes with a sodium atom in between, is atomically thin. The second one is quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) and consists of two single-wall carbon nanotube electrodes, closed on the tips and again a sodium atom in the scattering region. Although the bridging atom bonds weakly to the electrodes in both systems, it strongly affects the electronic transport properties, such as electron transmission, current-voltage relation, differential conductance, density of states and eigenchannels. This is demonstrated by comparing with the results obtained from the corresponding systems for both the 1D and the quasi-1D junctions in the absence of the central sodium atom. The revealed transport properties are sensitive to the molecular geometry. This helps future molecular electronic device design.

Isomeric effects tuning the electron transport in carotenoid derivatives: from ohmic to rectifier behavior

Single-molecules have been widely investigated in the last decades due to their promises as devices in molecular electronics. One of the advantages in the use of natural compounds in molecular electronics is the economy of material and molecular synthesis, which makes the process both cheaper and self-sustaining. Although many studies have considered electronic transport in single molecules, there are few studies associated with isomeric effects in biologically appealing systems. In the present work, we have studied ballistic electron transport in two isomeric forms of a retinol molecule: 11-cis and all-trans-retinol. The molecules were connected between two Au(111) electrodes and calculations were performed with the NEGF-DFT methodology. Current-voltage, differential conductance, and rectification curves were obtained and compared for two structures. While 11-cis-retinol shows a more symmetrical current-voltage curve, all-trans-retinol acts as molecular diode for low applied voltages. Our results suggest that a simple isomeric effect modulates the molecular device from nanowires to diodes with potential applications as field-effect transistors.