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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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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: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [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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Ferri N, Algethami N, Vezzoli A, Sangtarash S, McLaughlin M, Sadeghi H, Lambert CJ, Nichols RJ, Higgins SJ. Hemilabile Ligands as Mechanosensitive Electrode Contacts for Molecular Electronics. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:16583-16589. [PMID: 31364249 PMCID: PMC6899542 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201906400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Single-molecule junctions that are sensitive to compression or elongation are an emerging class of nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). Although the molecule-electrode interface can be engineered to impart such functionality, most studies to date rely on poorly defined interactions. We focused on this issue by synthesizing molecular wires designed to have chemically defined hemilabile contacts based on (methylthio)thiophene moieties. We measured their conductance as a function of junction size and observed conductance changes of up to two orders of magnitude as junctions were compressed and stretched. Localised interactions between weakly coordinating thienyl sulfurs and the electrodes are responsible for the observed effect and allow reversible monodentate⇄bidentate contact transitions as the junction is modulated in size. We observed an up to ≈100-fold sensitivity boost of the (methylthio)thiophene-terminated molecular wire compared with its non-hemilabile (methylthio)benzene counterpart and demonstrate a previously unexplored application of hemilabile ligands to molecular electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Ferri
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZDUK
| | | | - Andrea Vezzoli
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZDUK
| | - Sara Sangtarash
- Department of PhysicsLancaster UniversityLancasterLA1 4YBUK
- School of EngineeringUniversity of WarwickCoventryCV4 7ALUK
| | - Maeve McLaughlin
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZDUK
| | - Hatef Sadeghi
- Department of PhysicsLancaster UniversityLancasterLA1 4YBUK
- School of EngineeringUniversity of WarwickCoventryCV4 7ALUK
| | | | - Richard J. Nichols
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZDUK
| | - Simon J. Higgins
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZDUK
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4
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Ferri N, Algethami N, Vezzoli A, Sangtarash S, McLaughlin M, Sadeghi H, Lambert CJ, Nichols RJ, Higgins SJ. Hemilabile Ligands as Mechanosensitive Electrode Contacts for Molecular Electronics. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201906400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Ferri
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Liverpool Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Norah Algethami
- Department of PhysicsLancaster University Lancaster LA1 4YB UK
| | - Andrea Vezzoli
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Liverpool Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Sara Sangtarash
- Department of PhysicsLancaster University Lancaster LA1 4YB UK
- School of EngineeringUniversity of Warwick Coventry CV4 7AL UK
| | - Maeve McLaughlin
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Liverpool Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Hatef Sadeghi
- Department of PhysicsLancaster University Lancaster LA1 4YB UK
- School of EngineeringUniversity of Warwick Coventry CV4 7AL UK
| | | | - Richard J. Nichols
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Liverpool Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Simon J. Higgins
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Liverpool Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
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Gryn'ova G, Corminboeuf C. Topology-Driven Single-Molecule Conductance of Carbon Nanothreads. J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:825-830. [PMID: 30668127 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b03556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Highly conductive single-molecule junctions typically involve π-conjugated molecular bridges, whose frontier molecular orbital energy levels can be fine-tuned to best match the Fermi level of the leads. Fully saturated wires, e.g., alkanes, are typically thought of as insulating rather than highly conductive. However, in this work, we demonstrate in silico that significant zero-bias conductance can be achieved in such systems by means of topology. Specifically, caged saturated hydrocarbons offering multiple σ-conductance channels afford transmission far beyond what could be expected based upon conventional superposition laws, particularly if these pathways are composed entirely from quaternary carbon atoms. Computed conductance of molecular bridges based on carbon nanothreads, e.g., polytwistane, is not only of appreciable magnitude; it also shows a very slow decay with increasing nanogap, similarly to the case of π-conjugated wires. These findings offer a way to manipulate the transport properties of molecular systems by means of their topology, alternatively to the traditionally invoked electronic structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganna Gryn'ova
- Laboratory for Computational Molecular Design, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering , École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , CH-1015 Lausanne , Switzerland
| | - Clémence Corminboeuf
- Laboratory for Computational Molecular Design, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering , École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , CH-1015 Lausanne , Switzerland
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6
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Huang W, Shi H, Liu H, Corminboeuf C. The influence of external electric fields on charge reorganization energy in organic semiconductors. Chem Commun (Camb) 2019; 55:2384-2387. [DOI: 10.1039/c8cc09680e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Charge reorganization energies (λ) of inter-ring carbon–carbon (IRCC) bond connected conjugated polycyclics are shown to exhibit an electric-field-driven anisotropic character.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weicong Huang
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science
- Jinan University
- Guangzhou 510632
- China
| | - Hu Shi
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Shanxi University
- Taiyuan 030006
- China
| | - Hongguang Liu
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science
- Jinan University
- Guangzhou 510632
- China
| | - Clémence Corminboeuf
- Laboratory for Computational Molecular Design
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering
- Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
- CH-1015 Lausanne
- Switzerland
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