1
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Lu J, Lew MD. Single-molecule electrochemical imaging resolves the midpoint potentials of individual fluorophores on nanoporous antimony-doped tin oxide. Chem Sci 2024; 15:2037-2046. [PMID: 38332827 PMCID: PMC10848685 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc05293a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
We report reversible switching of oxazine, cyanine, and rhodamine dyes by a nanoporous antimony-doped tin oxide electrode that enables single-molecule (SM) imaging of electrochemical activity. Since the emissive state of each fluorophore is modulated by electrochemical potential, the number of emitting single molecules follows a sigmoid function during a potential scan, and we thus optically determine the formal redox potential of each dye. We find that the presence of redox mediators (phenazine methosulfate and riboflavin) functions as an electrochemical switch on each dye's emissive state and observe significantly altered electrochemical potential and kinetics. We are therefore able to measure optically how redox mediators and the solid-state electrode modulate the redox state of fluorescent molecules, which follows an electrocatalytic (EC') mechanism, with SM sensitivity over a 900 μm2 field of view. Our observations indicate that redox mediator-assisted SM electrochemical imaging (SMEC) could be potentially used to sense any electroactive species. Combined with SM blinking and localization microscopy, SMEC imaging promises to resolve the nanoscale spatial distributions of redox species and their redox states, as well as the electron transfer kinetics of electroactive species in various bioelectrochemical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Lu
- Preston M. Green Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis MO 63130 USA
- Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis MO 63130 USA
| | - Matthew D Lew
- Preston M. Green Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis MO 63130 USA
- Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis MO 63130 USA
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2
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Alsaqer M, Daaoub AH, Sangtarash S, Sadeghi H. Large Mechanosensitive Thermoelectric Enhancement in Metallo-Organic Magnetic Molecules. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:10719-10724. [PMID: 37988562 PMCID: PMC10722535 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Organic materials are promising candidates for thermoelectric cooling and energy harvesting at room temperature. However, their electrical conductance (G) and Seebeck coefficient (S) need to be improved to make them technologically competitive. Therefore, radically new strategies need to be developed to tune their thermoelectric properties. Here, we demonstrate that G and S can be tuned mechanically in paramagnetic metallocenes, and their thermoelectric properties can be significantly enhanced by the application of mechanical forces. With a 2% junction compression, the full thermoelectric figure of merit is enhanced by more than 200 times. We demonstrate that this is because spin transport resonances in paramagnetic metallocenes are strongly sensitive to the interaction between organic ligands and the metal center, which is not the case in their diamagnetic analogue. These results open a new avenue for the development of organic thermoelectric materials for cooling future quantum computers and generating electricity from low-grade energy sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munirah Alsaqer
- Device Modelling Group, School
of Engineering, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Abdalghani H.S. 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
| | - Hatef Sadeghi
- Device Modelling Group, School
of Engineering, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL Coventry, United Kingdom
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3
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Li X, Zheng Y, Zhou Y, Zhu Z, Wu J, Ge W, Zhang Y, Ye Y, Chen L, Shi J, Liu J, Bai J, Liu Z, Hong W. Supramolecular Transistors with Quantum Interference Effect. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:21679-21686. [PMID: 37747934 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c08615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
The charge transport through supramolecular junctions exhibits unique quantum interference (QI) effects, which provide an opportunity for the design of supramolecular transistors. Benefiting from the configuration dependence of QI, configuration control of the supramolecular assemblies to demonstrate the QI features is a key but challenging step. In this work, we fabricated the supramolecular transistors and investigated the charge transport through the conducting channel of the individual π-stacked thiophene/phenylene co-oligomers (TPCOs) using the electrochemically gated scanning tunneling microscope break junction technique. We controlled the configuration of the supramolecular channel and switched the QI features between the anti-resonance and resonance states of the supramolecular channels. We observed the supramolecular transistor with its on/off ratio above 103 (∼1300), a high gating efficiency of ∼165 mV/dec, a low off-state leakage current of ∼30 pA, and the channel length scaled down to <2.0 nm. Density functional theory calculations suggested that the QI features in π-stacked TPCOs vary depending on the supramolecular architecture and can be manipulated efficiently by fine-tuning the supramolecular configurations. This work reveals the potential of the supramolecular channels for molecular electronics and provides a fundamental understanding of intermolecular charge transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Yan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Zhiyu Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Jiayi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Wenhui Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Yuxuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Yuqing Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Lichuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Jia Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Junyang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Jie Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Zitong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
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4
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Gao T, Daaoub A, Pan Z, Hu Y, Yuan S, Li Y, Dong G, Huang R, Liu J, Sangtarash S, Shi J, Yang Y, Sadeghi H, Hong W. Supramolecular Radical Electronics. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:17232-17241. [PMID: 37493612 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c04323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Supramolecular radical chemistry is an emerging area bridging supramolecular chemistry and radical chemistry, and the integration of radicals into the supramolecular architecture offers a new dimension for tuning their structures and functions. Although various efforts have been devoted to the fabrication of supramolecular junctions, the charge transport characterization through the supramolecular radicals remained unexplored due to the challenges in creating supramolecular radicals at the single-molecule level. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication and charge transport investigation of a supramolecular radical junction using the electrochemical scanning tunneling microscope-based break junction (EC-STM-BJ) technique. We found that the conductance of a supramolecular radical junction was more than 1 order of magnitude higher than that of a supramolecular junction without a radical and even higher than that of a fully conjugated oligophenylenediamine molecule with a similar length. The combined experimental and theoretical investigations revealed that the radical increased the binding energy and decreased the energy gap in the supramolecular radical junction, which leads to the near-resonant transport through the supramolecular radical. Our work demonstrated that the supramolecular radical can provide not only strong binding but also efficient electrical coupling between building blocks, which provides new insights into supramolecular radical chemistry and new materials with supramolecular radicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengyang Gao
- 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 & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Abdalghani Daaoub
- Device Modelling Group, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Zhichao Pan
- 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 & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yong Hu
- 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 & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & 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 & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yaoguang Li
- 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 & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Gang Dong
- 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 & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Ruiyun Huang
- 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 & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & 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 & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Sara Sangtarash
- Device Modelling Group, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Jia 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 & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & 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 & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Hatef Sadeghi
- Device Modelling Group, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, 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 & Institute of Artificial Intelligence & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
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5
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Wang Z, Li Z, Li C, Ji X, Song X, Yu X, Wang L, Hu W. Generic dynamic molecular devices by quantitative non-steady-state proton/water-coupled electron transport kinetics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2304506120. [PMID: 37279276 PMCID: PMC10268228 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304506120] [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: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Dynamic molecular devices operating with time- and history-dependent performance raised new challenges for the fundamental study of microscopic non-steady-state charge transport as well as functionalities that are not achievable by steady-state devices. In this study, we reported a generic dynamic mode of molecular devices by addressing the transient redox state of ubiquitous quinone molecules in the junction by proton/water transfer. The diffusion limited slow proton/water transfer-modulated fast electron transport, leading to a non-steady-state transport process, as manifested by the negative differential resistance, dynamic hysteresis, and memory-like behavior. A quantitative paradigm for the study of the non-steady-state charge transport kinetics was further developed by combining the theoretical model and transient state characterization, and the principle of the dynamic device can be revealed by the numerical simulator. On applying pulse stimulation, the dynamic device emulated the neuron synaptic response with frequency-dependent depression and facilitation, implying a great potential for future nonlinear and brain-inspired devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyan Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education, Tianjin300072, China
| | - Zheyang Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education, Tianjin300072, China
| | - Chengtai Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education, Tianjin300072, China
- School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University of Technology, Ningbo315211, China
| | - Xuan Ji
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education, Tianjin300072, China
| | - Xianneng Song
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education, Tianjin300072, China
| | - Xi Yu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin300072, China
- School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University of Technology, Ningbo315211, China
| | - Lejia Wang
- School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University of Technology, Ningbo315211, China
| | - Wenping Hu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Science, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Organic Integrated Circuits, Ministry of Education, Tianjin300072, China
- Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Fuzhou350207, China
- Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin300192, China
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6
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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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7
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Liu YN, Lv ZT, Lv WL, Liu DF, Liu XW. Label-Free Optical Imaging of the Electron Transfer in Single Live Microbial Cells. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:558-566. [PMID: 36594792 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c04018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Measurement of electron transfer at the single-particle or -cell level is crucial to the in situ study of basic chemical and biological processes. However, it remains challenging to directly probe the microbial extracellular electron transfer process due to the weakness of signals and the lack of techniques. Here, we present a label-free and noninvasive imaging method that is able to measure the electron transfer in microbial cells. We measured the extracellular electron transfer processes by imaging the redox reaction of c-type outer membrane cytochromes in microbial cells using a plasmonic imaging technique, and obtained the electrochemical activity parameters (formal potential and number of electrons transferred) of multiple individual microbial cells, allowing for unveiling ample heterogeneities in electron transfer at the single-cell level. We anticipate that this method will contribute to the study of electron transfer in various biological and chemical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Nan Liu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, China
| | - Zhen-Ting Lv
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, China
| | - Wen-Li Lv
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, China
| | - Dong-Feng Liu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, China
| | - Xian-Wei Liu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, China
- Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, China
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8
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Roy G, Gupta R, Ranjan Sahoo S, Saha S, Asthana D, Chandra Mondal P. Ferrocene as an iconic redox marker: From solution chemistry to molecular electronic devices. Coord Chem Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2022.214816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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9
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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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10
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Wang Z, Palma JL, Wang H, Liu J, Zhou G, Ajayakumar MR, Feng X, Wang W, Ulstrup J, Kornyshev AA, Li Y, Tao N. Electrochemically controlled rectification in symmetric single-molecule junctions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2122183119. [PMID: 36136968 PMCID: PMC9522371 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2122183119] [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] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-molecule electrochemical science has advanced over the past decades and now extends well beyond molecular imaging, to molecular electronics functions such as rectification and amplification. Rectification is conceptually the simplest but has involved mostly challenging chemical synthesis of asymmetric molecular structures or asymmetric materials and geometry of the two enclosing electrodes. Here we propose an experimental and theoretical strategy for building and tuning in situ (in operando) rectification in two symmetric molecular structures in electrochemical environment. The molecules were designed to conduct electronically via either their lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO; electron transfer) or highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO; "hole transfer"). We used a bipotentiostat to control separately the electrochemical potential of the tip and substrate electrodes of an electrochemical scanning tunneling microscope (EC-STM), which leads to independent energy alignment of the STM tip, the molecule, and the STM substrate. By creating an asymmetric energy alignment, we observed single-molecule rectification of each molecule within a voltage range of ±0.5 V. By varying both the dominating charge transporting LUMO or HOMO energy and the electrolyte concentration, we achieved tuning of the polarity as well as the amplitude of the rectification. We have extended an earlier proposed theory that predicts electrolyte-controlled rectification to rationalize all the observed in situ rectification features and found excellent agreement between theory and experiments. Our study thus offers a way toward building controllable single-molecule rectifying devices without involving asymmetric molecular structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixiao Wang
- aState Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- 1To whom correspondence may be addressed. or or or
| | - Julio L. Palma
- bDepartment of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, Fayette, The Eberly Campus, Lemont Furnace, PA 15456
| | - Hui Wang
- aState Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Junzhi Liu
- cDepartment of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Gang Zhou
- dLaboratory of Advanced Materials, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - M. R. Ajayakumar
- eCentre for Advancing Electronics Dresden, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Technische University Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Xinliang Feng
- eCentre for Advancing Electronics Dresden, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Technische University Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Wei Wang
- aState Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jens Ulstrup
- fDepartment of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby 2800, Denmark
- 1To whom correspondence may be addressed. or or or
| | - Alexei A. Kornyshev
- gDepartment of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, White City Campus, London W12 0BZ, United Kingdom
- 1To whom correspondence may be addressed. or or or
| | - Yueqi Li
- hCenter for Bioanalytical Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- 1To whom correspondence may be addressed. or or or
| | - Nongjian Tao
- aState Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- iCenter for Bioelectronics and Biosensors, Biodesign Institute and School of Electrical, Energy and Computer Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287
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11
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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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12
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Lawson B, Zahl P, Hybertsen MS, Kamenetska M. Formation and Evolution of Metallocene Single-Molecule Circuits with Direct Gold-π Links. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:6504-6515. [PMID: 35353518 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c01322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Single-molecule circuits with group 8 metallocenes are formed without additional linker groups in scanning tunneling microscope-based break junction (STMBJ) measurements at cryogenic and room-temperature conditions with gold (Au) electrodes. We investigate the nature of this direct gold-π binding motif and its effect on molecular conductance and persistence characteristics during junction evolution. The measurement technique under cryogenic conditions tracks molecular plateaus through the full cycle of extension and compression. Analysis reveals that junction persistence when the metal electrodes are pushed together correlates with whether electrodes are locally sharp or blunt, suggesting distinct scenarios for metallocene junction formation and evolution. The top and bottom surfaces of the "barrel"-shaped metallocenes present the electron-rich π system of cyclopentadienyl rings, which interacts with the gold electrodes in two distinct ways. An undercoordinated gold atom on a sharp tip forms a donor-acceptor bond to a specific carbon atom in the ring. However, a small, flat patch on a dull tip can bind more strongly to the ring as a whole through van der Waals interactions. Density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations of model electrode structures provide an atomic-scale picture of these scenarios, demonstrating the role of these bonding motifs during junction evolution and showing that the conductance is relatively independent of tip atomic-scale structure. The nonspecific interaction of the cyclopentadienyl rings with the electrodes enables extended conductance plateaus, a mechanism distinct from that identified for the more commonly studied, rod-shaped organic molecular wires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent Lawson
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Percy Zahl
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Mark S Hybertsen
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Maria Kamenetska
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States.,Division of Material Science and Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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13
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Xie X, Li P, Xu Y, Zhou L, Yan Y, Xie L, Jia C, Guo X. Single-Molecule Junction: A Reliable Platform for Monitoring Molecular Physical and Chemical Processes. ACS NANO 2022; 16:3476-3505. [PMID: 35179354 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c11433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring and manipulating the physical and chemical behavior of single molecules is an important development direction of molecular electronics that aids in understanding the molecular world at the single-molecule level. The electrical detection platform based on single-molecule junctions can monitor physical and chemical processes at the single-molecule level with a high temporal resolution, stability, and signal-to-noise ratio. Recently, the combination of single-molecule junctions with different multimodal control systems has been widely used to explore significant physical and chemical phenomena because of its powerful monitoring and control capabilities. In this review, we focus on the applications of single-molecule junctions in monitoring molecular physical and chemical processes. The methods developed for characterizing single-molecule charge transfer and spin characteristics as well as revealing the corresponding intrinsic mechanisms are introduced. Dynamic detection and regulation of single-molecule conformational isomerization, intermolecular interactions, and chemical reactions are also discussed in detail. In addition to these dynamic investigations, this review discusses the open challenges of single-molecule detection in the fields of physics and chemistry and proposes some potential applications in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinmiao Xie
- Center for Molecular Systems and Organic Devices (CMSOD), Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - 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, PR China
| | - Yanxia Xu
- 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, PR 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, PR China
| | - Yong Yan
- Center for Molecular Systems and Organic Devices (CMSOD), Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Linghai Xie
- Center for Molecular Systems and Organic Devices (CMSOD), Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, PR 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, PR 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, PR 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, PR 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, PR China
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14
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Tao S, Zhang Q, Vezzoli A, Zhao C, Zhao C, Higgins SJ, Smogunov A, Dappe YJ, Nichols RJ, Yang L. Electrochemical gating for single-molecule electronics with hybrid Au|graphene contacts. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:6836-6844. [PMID: 35244656 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp05486d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The single-molecular conductance of a redox active viologen molecular bridge between Au|graphene electrodes has been studied in an electrochemical gating configuration in an ionic liquid medium. A clear "off-on-off" conductance switching behaviour has been achieved through gating of the redox state when the electrochemical potential is swept. The Au|viologen|graphene junctions show single-molecule conductance maxima centred close to the equilibrium redox potentials for both reduction steps. The peak conductance of Au|viologen|graphene junctions during the first reduction is significantly higher than that of previously measured Au|viologen|Au junctions. This shows that even though the central viologen moiety is not directly linked to the enclosing electrodes, substituting one gold contact for a graphene one nevertheless has a significant impact on junction conductance values. The experimental data was compared against two theoretical models, namely a phase coherent tunnelling and an incoherent "hopping" model. The former is a simple gating monoelectronic model within density functional theory (DFT) which discloses the charge state evolution of the molecule with electrode potential. The latter model is the collective Kuznetsov Ulstrup model for 2-step sequential charge transport through the redox centre in the adiabatic limit. The comparison of both models to the experimental data is discussed for the first time. This work opens perspectives for graphene-based molecular transistors with more effective gating and fundamental understanding of electrochemical electron transfer at the single molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhui Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Xi'an-Jiaotong Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, China. .,Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Xi'an-Jiaotong Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, China. .,Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Andrea Vezzoli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Cezhou Zhao
- 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
| | - Simon J Higgins
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Alexander Smogunov
- SPEC, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Yannick J Dappe
- SPEC, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - 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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15
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Engelbrekt C, Nazmutdinov RR, Shermukhamedov S, Ulstrup J, Zinkicheva TT, Xiao X. Complex single‐molecule and molecular scale entities in electrochemical environments: Mechanisms and challenges. ELECTROCHEMICAL SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/elsa.202100157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Engelbrekt
- Department of Chemistry Technical University of Denmark Building 207, DK0‐2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Renat R. Nazmutdinov
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry Kazan National Research Technological University Karl Marx Str. 68 Kazan 420015 Russian Federation
| | - Shokirbek Shermukhamedov
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry Kazan National Research Technological University Karl Marx Str. 68 Kazan 420015 Russian Federation
| | - Jens Ulstrup
- Department of Chemistry Technical University of Denmark Building 207, DK0‐2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Tamara T. Zinkicheva
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry Kazan National Research Technological University Karl Marx Str. 68 Kazan 420015 Russian Federation
| | - Xinxin Xiao
- Department of Chemistry Technical University of Denmark Building 207, DK0‐2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
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16
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STM studies of electron transfer through single molecules at electrode-electrolyte interfaces. Electrochim Acta 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2021.138497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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17
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Chen H, Jiang F, Hu C, Jiao Y, Chen S, Qiu Y, Zhou P, Zhang L, Cai K, Song B, Chen XY, Zhao X, Wasielewski MR, Guo H, Hong W, Stoddart JF. Electron-Catalyzed Dehydrogenation in a Single-Molecule Junction. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:8476-8487. [PMID: 34043344 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c03141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Investigating how electrons propagate through a single molecule is one of the missions of molecular electronics. Electrons, however, are also efficient catalysts for conducting radical reactions, a property that is often overlooked by chemists. Special attention should be paid to electron catalysis when interpreting single-molecule conductance results for the simple reason that an unexpected reaction mediated or triggered by electrons might take place in the single-molecule junction. Here, we describe a counterintuitive structure-property relationship that molecules, both linear and cyclic, employing a saturated bipyridinium-ethane backbone, display a similar conductance signature when compared to junctions formed with molecules containing conjugated bipyridinium-ethene backbones. We describe an ethane-to-ethene transformation, which proceeds in the single-molecule junction by an electron-catalyzed dehydrogenation. Electrochemically based ensemble experiments and theoretical calculations have revealed that the electrons trigger the redox process, and the electric field promotes the dehydrogenation. This finding not only demonstrates the importance of electron catalysis when interpreting experimental results, but also charts a pathway to gaining more insight into the mechanism of electrocatalytic hydrogen production at the single-molecule level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongliang Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.,Stoddart Institute of Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310021, China.,ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou 311215, China
| | - Feng Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Chen Hu
- Center for the Physics of Materials and Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T8, Canada
| | - Yang Jiao
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Su Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Yunyan Qiu
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Ping Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Long Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Kang Cai
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Bo Song
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Xiao-Yang Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Xingang Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Michael R Wasielewski
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Hong Guo
- Center for the Physics of Materials and Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T8, Canada
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - J Fraser Stoddart
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.,Stoddart Institute of Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310021, China.,School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.,ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou 311215, China
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18
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Ren H, Edwards MA. Stochasticity in Single-Entity Electrochemistry. CURRENT OPINION IN ELECTROCHEMISTRY 2021; 25:100632. [PMID: 33102927 PMCID: PMC7584144 DOI: 10.1016/j.coelec.2020.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Most electrochemical processes are stochastic and discrete in nature. Yet experimental observables, e.g., i vs E, are typically smooth and deterministic, due to many events/processes, e.g., electron transfers, being averaged together. However, when the number of entities measured approaches a few or even one, stochasticity frequently emerges. Yet all is not lost! Probabilistic and statistical interpretation can generate insights matching or superseding those from macroscale/ensemble measurements, revealing phenomena that were hitherto averaged over. Herein, we review recent literature examples of stochastic processes in single-entity electrochemistry, highlighting strategies for interpreting stochasticity, contrasting them with macroscale measurements, and describing the insights generated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Ren
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056
| | - Martin A Edwards
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701
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19
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Yan J, Frøkjær EE, Engelbrekt C, Leimkühler S, Ulstrup J, Wollenberger U, Xiao X, Zhang J. Voltammetry and Single‐Molecule In Situ Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy of the Redox Metalloenzyme Human Sulfite Oxidase. ChemElectroChem 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/celc.202001258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Yan
- Department of Chemistry Technical University of Denmark Building 207, Kemitorvet 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
- State key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Xiamen University Xiamen 361005 Fujian P.R. China
| | - Emil Egede Frøkjær
- Department of Chemistry Technical University of Denmark Building 207, Kemitorvet 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Christian Engelbrekt
- Department of Chemistry Technical University of Denmark Building 207, Kemitorvet 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Silke Leimkühler
- Department of Molecular Enzymology University of Potsdam 14476 PotsdamPotsdam-Golm Germany
| | - Jens Ulstrup
- Department of Chemistry Technical University of Denmark Building 207, Kemitorvet 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Ulla Wollenberger
- Department of Molecular Enzymology University of Potsdam 14476 PotsdamPotsdam-Golm Germany
| | - Xinxin Xiao
- Department of Chemistry Technical University of Denmark Building 207, Kemitorvet 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Jingdong Zhang
- Department of Chemistry Technical University of Denmark Building 207, Kemitorvet 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
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20
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Zhang L, Lu JR, Waigh TA. Electronics of peptide- and protein-based biomaterials. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 287:102319. [PMID: 33248339 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2020.102319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Biologically inspired peptide- and protein-based materials are at the forefront of organic bioelectronics research due to their inherent conduction properties and excellent biocompatibility. Peptides have the advantages of structural simplicity and ease of synthesis providing credible prospects for mass production, whereas naturally expressed proteins offer inspiration with many examples of high performance evolutionary optimised bioelectronics properties. We review recent advances in the fundamental conduction mechanisms, experimental techniques and exemplar applications for the bioelectronics of self-assembling peptides and proteins. Diverse charge transfer processes, such as tunnelling, hopping and coupled transfer, are found in naturally occurring biological systems with peptides and proteins as the predominant building blocks to enable conduction in biology. Both theory and experiments allow detailed investigation of bioelectronic properties in order to design functionalized peptide- and protein-based biomaterials, e.g. to create biocompatible aqueous electrodes. We also highlight the design of bioelectronics devices based on peptides/proteins including field-effect transistors, piezoelectric energy harvesters and optoelectronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Zhang
- Biological Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - J R Lu
- Biological Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
| | - T A Waigh
- Biological Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; Photon Science Institute, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
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21
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Creating a regular array of metal-complexing molecules on an insulator surface at room temperature. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6424. [PMID: 33349635 PMCID: PMC7752910 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20189-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Controlling self-assembled nanostructures on bulk insulators at room temperature is crucial towards the fabrication of future molecular devices, e.g., in the field of nanoelectronics, catalysis and sensor applications. However, at temperatures realistic for operation anchoring individual molecules on electrically insulating support surfaces remains a big challenge. Here, we present the formation of an ordered array of single anchored molecules, dimolybdenum tetraacetate, on the (10.4) plane of calcite (CaCO3). Based on our combined study of atomic force microscopy measurements and density functional theory calculations, we show that the molecules neither diffuse nor rotate at room temperature. The strong anchoring is explained by electrostatic interaction of an ideally size-matched molecule. Especially at high coverage, a hard-sphere repulsion of the molecules and the confinement at the calcite surface drives the molecules to form locally ordered arrays, which is conceptually different from attractive linkers as used in metal-organic frameworks. Our work demonstrates that tailoring the molecule-surface interaction opens up the possibility for anchoring individual metal-complexing molecules into ordered arrays.
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22
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Characterizing intermolecular interactions in redox-active pyridinium-based molecular junctions. J Electroanal Chem (Lausanne) 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2020.114070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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23
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Wu C, Qiao X, Robertson CM, Higgins SJ, Cai C, Nichols RJ, Vezzoli A. A Chemically Soldered Polyoxometalate Single-Molecule Transistor. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:12029-12034. [PMID: 32271489 PMCID: PMC7383859 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202002174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Polyoxometalates have been proposed in the literature as nanoelectronic components, where they could offer key advantages with their structural versatility and rich electrochemistry. Apart from a few studies on their ensemble behaviour (as monolayers or thin films), this potential remains largely unexplored. We synthesised a pyridyl-capped Anderson-Evans polyoxometalate and used it to fabricate single-molecule junctions, using the organic termini to chemically "solder" a single cluster to two nanoelectrodes. Operating the device in an electrochemical environment allowed us to probe charge transport through different oxidation states of the polyoxometalate, and we report here an efficient three-state transistor behaviour. Conductance data fits a quantum tunnelling mechanism with different charge-transport probabilities through different charge states. Our results show the promise of polyoxometalates in nanoelectronics and give an insight on their single-entity electrochemical behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanli Wu
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZDUK
- School of Chemistry and Materials ScienceNanjing Normal UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
| | - Xiaohang Qiao
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZDUK
| | - Craig M. Robertson
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZDUK
| | - Simon J. Higgins
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZDUK
| | - Chenxin Cai
- School of Chemistry and Materials ScienceNanjing Normal UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
| | - Richard J. Nichols
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZDUK
| | - Andrea Vezzoli
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZDUK
- Stephenson Institute for Renewable EnergyUniversity of LiverpoolPeach StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZFUK
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24
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Liu B, Yokota K, Komoto Y, Tsutsui M, Taniguchi M. Thermally activated charge transport in carbon atom chains. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:11001-11007. [PMID: 32270842 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr01827a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Charge transport through single molecules is at the heart of molecular electronics for realizing the practical use of the rich quantum characteristics of electrode-molecule-electrode systems. Despite the extensive studies reported in the past, little experimental efforts have been focused on the electron transport mechanism at a temperature higher than the ambient temperature. In this work, we have reported the observation of the subtle interplay between electron tunneling and charge hopping in carbon chains connected to two Au electrodes at elevated temperatures. We measured the single-molecule conductance of Au-alkanedithiol-Au molecular junctions at various temperatures from 300 K to 420 K in vacuum. The temperature dependence of conductance suggested substantial roles of superexchange with inter-chain charge hopping under elevated temperatures for alkane chains longer than heptane. This finding provides a guide to design functional molecular junctions under practical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Liu
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan.
| | - Kazumichi Yokota
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Takamatsu, Kagawa 761-0395, Japan
| | - Yuki Komoto
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan.
| | - Makusu Tsutsui
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan.
| | - Masateru Taniguchi
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan.
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25
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Han B, Li Y, Ji X, Song X, Ding S, Li B, Khalid H, Zhang Y, Xu X, Tian L, Dong H, Yu X, Hu W. Systematic Modulation of Charge Transport in Molecular Devices through Facile Control of Molecule-Electrode Coupling Using a Double Self-Assembled Monolayer Nanowire Junction. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:9708-9717. [PMID: 32362123 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c02215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
We report a novel solid-state molecular device structure based on double self-assembled monolayers (D-SAM) incorporated into the suspended nanowire architecture to form a "Au|SAM-1||SAM-2|Au" junction. Using commercially available thiol molecules that are devoid of synthetic difficulty, we constructed a "Au|S-(CH2)6-ferrocene||SAM-2|Au" junction with various lengths and chemical structures of SAM-2 to tune the coupling between the ferrocene conductive molecular orbital and electrode of the junction. Combining low noise and a wide temperature range measurement, we demonstrated systematically modulated conduction depending on the length and chemical nature of SAM-2. Meanwhile, the transport mechanism transition from tunneling to hopping and the intermediate state accompanied by the current fluctuation due to the coexistence of the hopping and tunneling transport channels were observed. Considering the versatility of this solid-state D-SAM in modulating the electrode-molecule interface and electroactive groups, this strategy thus provides a novel facile strategy for tailorable nanoscale charge transport studies and functional molecular devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Han
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University & Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yao Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University & Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Xuan Ji
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University & Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Xianneng Song
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University & Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Shuaishuai Ding
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Baili Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University & Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Hira Khalid
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University & Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yaogang Zhang
- School of Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Xiaona Xu
- School of Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Lixian Tian
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University & Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Huanli Dong
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Xi Yu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University & Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Wenping Hu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Optoelectronic Sciences, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University & Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300072, China
- Joint School of National University of Singapore and Tianjin University, International Campus of Tianjin University, Binhai New City, Fuzhou 350207, China
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26
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Wu C, Qiao X, Robertson CM, Higgins SJ, Cai C, Nichols RJ, Vezzoli A. A Chemically Soldered Polyoxometalate Single‐Molecule Transistor. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202002174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chuanli Wu
- Department of Chemistry University of Liverpool Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science Nanjing Normal University Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Xiaohang Qiao
- Department of Chemistry University of Liverpool Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Craig M. Robertson
- Department of Chemistry University of Liverpool Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Simon J. Higgins
- Department of Chemistry University of Liverpool Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Chenxin Cai
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science Nanjing Normal University Nanjing 210023 P. R. China
| | - Richard J. Nichols
- Department of Chemistry University of Liverpool Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Andrea Vezzoli
- Department of Chemistry University of Liverpool Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
- Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy University of Liverpool Peach Street Liverpool L69 7ZF UK
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27
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Song X, Han B, Yu X, Hu W. The analysis of charge transport mechanism in molecular junctions based on current-voltage characteristics. Chem Phys 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphys.2019.110514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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28
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Valianti S, Skourtis SS. Observing Donor-to-Acceptor Electron-Transfer Rates and the Marcus Inverted Parabola in Molecular Junctions. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:9641-9653. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b07371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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29
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Fermi level-tuned optics of graphene for attocoulomb-scale quantification of electron transfer at single gold nanoparticles. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3849. [PMID: 31451698 PMCID: PMC6710286 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11816-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Measurement of electron transfer at single-molecule level is normally restricted by the detection limit of faraday current, currently in a picoampere to nanoampere range. Here we demonstrate a unique graphene-based electrochemical microscopy technique to make an advance in the detection limit. The optical signal of electron transfer arises from the Fermi level-tuned Rayleigh scattering of graphene, which is further enhanced by immobilized gold nanostars. Owing to the specific response to surface charged carriers, graphene-based electrochemical microscopy enables an attoampere-scale detection limit of faraday current at multiple individual gold nanoelectrodes simultaneously. Using the graphene-based electrochemical microscopy, we show the capability to quantitatively measure the attocoulomb-scale electron transfer in cytochrome c adsorbed at a single nanoelectrode. We anticipate the graphene-based electrochemical microscopy to be a potential electrochemical tool for in situ study of biological electron transfer process in organelles, for example the mitochondrial electron transfer, in consideration of the anti-interference ability to chemicals and organisms.
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30
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Wang G, Zeng BF, Zhao SQ, Qian QZ, Hong W, Yang Y. Application of electrochemistry to single-molecule junctions: from construction to modulation. Sci China Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11426-019-9523-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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