1
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Jelenfi DP, Tajti A, Szalay PG. Interpretation of molecular electron transport in ab initio many-electron framework incorporating zero-point nuclear motion effects. J Comput Chem 2024; 45:1968-1979. [PMID: 38703360 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.27381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
A computational methodology, founded on chemical concepts, is presented for interpreting the role of nuclear motion in the electron transport through single-molecule junctions (SMJ) using many-electron ab initio quantum chemical calculations. Within this approach the many-electron states of the system, computed at the SOS-ADC(2) level, are followed along the individual normal modes of the encapsulated molecules. The inspection of the changes in the partial charge distribution of the many-electron states allows the quantification of the electron transport and the estimation of transmission probabilities. This analysis improves the understanding of the relationship between internal motions and electron transport. Two SMJ model systems are studied for validation purposes, constructed from a conductor (BDA, benzene-1,4-diamine) and an insulator molecule (DABCO, 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane). The trends of the resulting transmission probabilities are in agreement with the experimental observations, demonstrating the capability of the approach to distinguish between conductor and insulator type systems, thereby offering a straightforward and cost-effective tool for such classifications via quantum chemical calculations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dávid P Jelenfi
- Hevesy György PhD School of Chemistry, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Chemistry, Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Tajti
- Institute of Chemistry, Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter G Szalay
- Institute of Chemistry, Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
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2
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Yan S, Luan Y, Xu H, Fan H, Martin L, Gupta AK, Linke H, Meyhofer E, Reddy P, Pauly F, Wärnmark K. How substituents tune quantum interference in meta-OPE3 molecular junctions to control thermoelectric transport. NANOSCALE 2024. [PMID: 38973506 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr02188f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Quantum interference (QI) can strongly affect electric and thermoelectric properties of molecular junctions (MJs). So far, however, a limited number of experimental studies have explored the influence of QI on thermoelectric transport in MJs. To address this open point, we synthesized derivatives of meta-OPE3 with an electron-withdrawing nitro (-NO2) substituent or an electron-donating N,N-dimethyl amine (-NMe2) substituent, attached at two different positions of the central phenylene ring, and systematically studied the electrical conductance and thermopower of the corresponding gold-molecule-gold junctions. We show that (i) the electrical conductance of MJs depends weakly on the polarity of the substituents but strongly on the substitution position and (ii) MJs with the N,N-dimethyl amine group feature a higher thermopower than MJs with the nitro group. We also present calculations based on first principles, which explain these trends and show that the transport properties are highly sensitive to microscopic details in junctions, exhibiting destructive QI features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen Yan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Yuxuan Luan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Hailiang Xu
- NanoLund, Lund University, Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden.
- Department of Chemistry, Centre of Analysis and Synthesis, Lund University, Box 121, 22100 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Hao Fan
- Department of Chemistry, Centre of Analysis and Synthesis, Lund University, Box 121, 22100 Lund, Sweden.
| | - León Martin
- Institute of Physics and Center for Advanced Analytics and Predictive Sciences, University of Augsburg, 86159 Augsburg, Germany.
| | - Arvind Kumar Gupta
- Department of Chemistry, Centre of Analysis and Synthesis, Lund University, Box 121, 22100 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Heiner Linke
- NanoLund, Lund University, Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden.
- Solid State Physics, Lund University, Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Edgar Meyhofer
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Pramod Reddy
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Fabian Pauly
- Institute of Physics and Center for Advanced Analytics and Predictive Sciences, University of Augsburg, 86159 Augsburg, Germany.
| | - Kenneth Wärnmark
- NanoLund, Lund University, Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden.
- Department of Chemistry, Centre of Analysis and Synthesis, Lund University, Box 121, 22100 Lund, Sweden.
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3
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Fujii S, Seko S, Tanaka T, Yoshihara Y, Furukawa S, Nishino T, Saito M. Charge Transport through Single-Molecule Junctions with σ-Delocalized Systems. J Am Chem Soc 2024. [PMID: 38957924 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c06732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Single-molecule junctions, formed by a single molecule bridging a gap between two metal electrodes, are attracting attention as basic models of ultrasmall electronic devices. Although charge transport through π-conjugated molecules with π-delocalized system has been widely studied for a number of molecular junctions, there has been almost no research on charge transport through molecular junctions with a σ-delocalized orbital system. Compounds with hexa-selenium-substituted benzene form a σ-delocalized orbital system on the periphery of the benzene ring. In this study, we fabricated single-molecule junctions with the σ-delocalized orbital systems arising from lone-pair interactions of selenium atoms and clarified their electronic properties using the break-junction method. The single-molecule junctions with the σ-orbital systems show efficient charge transport properties and can be one of the alternatives to those with conventional π-orbital systems as minute electronic conductors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shintaro Fujii
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 W4-10 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
| | - Saya Seko
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-city, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Taichi Tanaka
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-city, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Yuki Yoshihara
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 W4-10 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Furukawa
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-city, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Nishino
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 W4-10 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
| | - Masaichi Saito
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Shimo-okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-city, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
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4
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Raja SN, Jain S, Kipen J, Jaldén J, Stemme G, Herland A, Niklaus F. Electromigrated Gold Nanogap Tunnel Junction Arrays: Fabrication and Electrical Behavior in Liquid and Gaseous Media. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024. [PMID: 38954436 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c03282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Tunnel junctions have been suggested as high-throughput electronic single molecule sensors in liquids with several seminal experiments conducted using break junctions with reconfigurable gaps. For practical single molecule sensing applications, arrays of on-chip integrated fixed-gap tunnel junctions that can be built into compact systems are preferable. Fabricating nanogaps by electromigration is one of the most promising approaches to realize on-chip integrated tunnel junction sensors. However, the electrical behavior of fixed-gap tunnel junctions immersed in liquid media has not been systematically studied to date, and the formation of electromigrated nanogap tunnel junctions in liquid media has not yet been demonstrated. In this work, we perform a comparative study of the formation and electrical behavior of arrays of gold nanogap tunnel junctions made by feedback-controlled electromigration immersed in various liquid and gaseous media (deionized water, mesitylene, ethanol, nitrogen, and air). We demonstrate that tunnel junctions can be obtained from microfabricated gold nanoconstrictions inside liquid media. Electromigration of junctions in air produces the highest yield (61-67%), electromigration in deionized water and mesitylene results in a lower yield than in air (44-48%), whereas electromigration in ethanol fails to produce viable tunnel junctions due to interfering electrochemical processes. We map out the stability of the conductance characteristics of the resulting tunnel junctions and identify medium-specific operational conditions that have an impact on the yield of forming stable junctions. Furthermore, we highlight the unique challenges associated with working with arrays of large numbers of tunnel junctions in batches. Our findings will inform future efforts to build single molecule sensors using on-chip integrated tunnel junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyamprasad N Raja
- Division of Micro and Nanosystems (MST), School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10044 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Saumey Jain
- Division of Micro and Nanosystems (MST), School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10044 Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Nanobiotechnology, SciLifeLab, Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10044 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Javier Kipen
- Division of Information Science and Engineering (ISE), School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10044 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joakim Jaldén
- Division of Information Science and Engineering (ISE), School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10044 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Göran Stemme
- Division of Micro and Nanosystems (MST), School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10044 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Herland
- Division of Nanobiotechnology, SciLifeLab, Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10044 Stockholm, Sweden
- AIMES-Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, SE-17177 Solna, Sweden
| | - Frank Niklaus
- Division of Micro and Nanosystems (MST), School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10044 Stockholm, Sweden
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5
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Li M, Jiang Y, Ju H, He S, Jia C, Guo X. Electronic Devices Based on Heterostructures of 2D Materials and Self-Assembled Monolayers. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2402857. [PMID: 38934535 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202402857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
2D materials (2DMs), known for their atomically ultrathin structure, exhibit remarkable electrical and optical properties. Similarly, molecular self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with comparable atomic thickness show an abundance of designable structures and properties. The strategy of constructing electronic devices through unique heterostructures formed by van der Waals assembly between 2DMs and molecular SAMs not only enables device miniaturization, but also allows for convenient adjustment of their structures and functions. In this review, the fundamental structures and fabrication methods of three different types of electronic devices dominated by 2DM-SAM heterojunctions with varying architectures are timely elaborated. Based on these heterojunctions, their fundamental functionalities and characteristics, as well as the regulation of their performance by external stimuli, are further discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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, P. R. China
| | - Yu Jiang
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin, 300350, P. R. China
| | - 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, P. R. China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300072, P. R. China
| | - Suhang He
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin, 300350, P. R. China
| | - Chuancheng Jia
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin, 300350, P. R. China
| | - Xuefeng Guo
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin, 300350, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, National Biomedical Imaging Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China
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6
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Gorenskaia E, Low PJ. Methods for the analysis, interpretation, and prediction of single-molecule junction conductance behaviour. Chem Sci 2024; 15:9510-9556. [PMID: 38939131 PMCID: PMC11206205 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc00488d] [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: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
This article offers a broad overview of measurement methods in the field of molecular electronics, with a particular focus on the most common single-molecule junction fabrication techniques, the challenges in data analysis and interpretation of single-molecule junction current-distance traces, and a summary of simulations and predictive models aimed at establishing robust structure-property relationships of use in the further development of molecular electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Gorenskaia
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway Crawley Western Australia 6026 Australia
| | - Paul J Low
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia 35 Stirling Highway Crawley Western Australia 6026 Australia
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7
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Grempka A, Dziubak D, Puszko AK, Bachurska-Szpala P, Ivanov M, Vilarinho PM, Pulka-Ziach K, Sek S. Stimuli-Responsive Oligourea Molecular Films. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:31817-31825. [PMID: 38848259 PMCID: PMC11194770 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c04767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
We have designed and synthesized a helical cysteamine-terminated oligourea foldamer composed of ten urea residues featuring side carboxyl and amine groups. The carboxyl group is located in proximity to the C-terminus of the oligourea and hence at the negative pole of the helix dipole. The amine group is located close to the N-terminus and hence at the positive pole of the helix dipole. Beyond the already remarkable dipole moment inherent in oligourea 2.5 helices, the incorporation of additional charges originating from the carboxylic and amine groups is supposed to impact the overall charge distribution along the molecule. These molecules were self-assembled into monolayers on a gold substrate, allowing us to investigate the influence of an electric field on these polar helices. By applying surface-enhanced infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy, we proved that molecules within the monolayers tend to reorient themselves more vertically when a negative bias is applied to the surface. It was also found that surface-confined oligourea molecules affected by the external electric field tend to rearrange the electron density at urea groups, leading to the stabilization of the resonance structure with charge transfer character. The presence of the external electric field also affected the nanomechanical properties of the oligourea films, suggesting that molecules also tend to reorient in the ambient environment without an electrolyte solution. Under the same conditions, the helical oligourea displayed a robust piezoresponse, particularly noteworthy given the slender thickness of the monolayer, which measured approximately 1.2 nm. This observation demonstrates that thin molecular films composed of oligoureas may exhibit stimulus-responsive properties. This, in turn, may be used in nanotechnology systems as actuators or functional films, enabling precise control of their thickness in the range of even fractions of nanometers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arkadiusz Grempka
- Biological
and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Zwirki i Wigury 101, Warsaw 02-089, Poland
| | - Damian Dziubak
- Biological
and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Zwirki i Wigury 101, Warsaw 02-089, Poland
| | - Anna K. Puszko
- Faculty
of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, Warsaw 02-093, Poland
| | | | - Maxim Ivanov
- Department
of Materials and Ceramic Engineering & CICECO—Aveiro Institute
of Materials, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Paula M. Vilarinho
- Department
of Materials and Ceramic Engineering & CICECO—Aveiro Institute
of Materials, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | | | - Slawomir Sek
- Biological
and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Zwirki i Wigury 101, Warsaw 02-089, Poland
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8
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Li L, Louie S, Orchanian NM, Nuckolls C, Venkataraman L. Long-Range Gating in Single-Molecule One-Dimensional Topological Insulators. J Am Chem Soc 2024. [PMID: 38832840 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c05699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Single-molecule one-dimensional topological insulator (1D TI) is a class of molecular wires that exhibit increasing conductance with wire length. This unique trend is due to the coupling between the two low-lying topological edge states of 1D TIs described by the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. In principle, this quantum phenomenon within 1D TIs can be utilized to achieve long-range gating in molecular conductors. Here, we study electron transport through a single-edge state of doubly oxidized oligophenylene bis(triarylamine) to understand the effect of the edge state coupling on conductance. We find that conductance is elevated by approximately 1 order of magnitude compared to a control molecule with the same conductance pathway. Density function theory calculations further support that the increase in conductance is due to the interaction between the edge states of 1D TIs. This work demonstrates a new gating paradigm in molecular electronics, while also providing a deeper understanding of how edge states interact and affect electron transport within 1D TIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Li
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Shayan Louie
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Nicholas M Orchanian
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Colin Nuckolls
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Latha Venkataraman
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
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9
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Sil A, Alsaqer M, Spano CE, Larbi A, Higgins SJ, Robertson CM, Graziano M, Sangtarash S, Nichols RJ, Sadeghi H, Vezzoli A. Mechanical Manipulation of Quantum Interference in Single-Molecule Junctions. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2308865. [PMID: 38221684 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202308865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Mechanosensitive molecular junctions, where conductance is sensitive to an applied stress such as force or displacement, are a class of nanoelectromechanical systems unique for their ability to exploit quantum mechanical phenomena. Most studies so far relied on reconfiguration of the molecule-electrode interface to impart mechanosensitivity, but this approach is limited and, generally, poorly reproducible. Alternatively, devices that exploit conformational flexibility of molecular wires have been recently proposed. The mechanosensitive properties of molecular wires containing the 1,1'-dinaphthyl moiety are presented here. Rotation along the chemical bond between the two naphthyl units is possible, giving rise to two conformers (transoid and cisoid) that have distinctive transport properties. When assembled as single-molecule junctions, it is possible to mechanically trigger the transoid to cisoid transition, resulting in an exquisitely sensitive mechanical switch with high switching ratio (> 102). Theoretical modeling shows that charge reconfiguration upon transoid to cisoid transition is responsible for the observed behavior, with generation and subsequent lifting of quantum interference features. These findings expand the experimental toolbox of molecular electronics with a novel chemical structure with outstanding electromechanical properties, further demonstrating the importance of subtle changes in charge delocalization on the transport properties of single-molecule devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Sil
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Munirah Alsaqer
- Device Modelling Group, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Chiara E Spano
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
- Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, Torino, 10129, Italy
| | - Adam Larbi
- 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
| | - Craig M Robertson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Mariagrazia Graziano
- Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, Torino, 10129, Italy
| | - Sara Sangtarash
- Device Modelling Group, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Richard J Nichols
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Hatef Sadeghi
- Device Modelling Group, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Andrea Vezzoli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
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10
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Lv X, Li C, Guo MM, Hong W, Chen LC, Zhang QC, Chen ZN. Hydroxyl Group as the 'Bridge' to Enhance the Single-Molecule Conductance by Hyperconjugation. Molecules 2024; 29:2440. [PMID: 38893316 PMCID: PMC11173964 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
For designing single-molecule devices that have both conjugation systems and structural flexibility, a hyperconjugated molecule with a σ-π bond interaction is considered an ideal candidate. In the investigation of conductance at the single-molecule level, since few hyperconjugation systems have been involved, the strategy of building hyperconjugation systems and the mechanism of electron transport within this system remain unexplored. Based on the skipped-conjugated structure, we present a rational approach to construct a hyperconjugation molecule using a hydroxyl group, which serves as a bridge to interact with the conjugated fragments. The measurement of single-molecule conductance reveals a two-fold conductance enhancement of the hyperconjugation system having the 'bridging' hydroxyl group compared to hydroxyl-free derivatives. Theoretical studies demonstrate that the hydroxyl group in the hyperconjugation system connects the LUMO of the two conjugated fragments and opens a through-space channel for electron transport to enhance the conductance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Lv
- Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China; (X.L.); (C.L.); (M.-M.G.); (Z.-N.C.)
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
- Fujian College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Chang Li
- Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China; (X.L.); (C.L.); (M.-M.G.); (Z.-N.C.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Meng-Meng Guo
- Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China; (X.L.); (C.L.); (M.-M.G.); (Z.-N.C.)
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China;
| | - Li-Chuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China;
| | - Qian-Chong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China; (X.L.); (C.L.); (M.-M.G.); (Z.-N.C.)
- Fujian College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Fujian Science & Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Zhong-Ning Chen
- Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China; (X.L.); (C.L.); (M.-M.G.); (Z.-N.C.)
- Fujian College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Fujian Science & Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China, Fuzhou 350108, China
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11
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Ward JS, Vezzoli A, Wells C, Bailey S, Jarvis SP, Lambert CJ, Robertson C, Nichols RJ, Higgins SJ. A Systematic Study of Methyl Carbodithioate Esters as Effective Gold Contact Groups for Single-Molecule Electronics. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024:e202403577. [PMID: 38770763 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202403577] [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: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
There are several binding groups used within molecular electronics for anchoring molecules to metal electrodes (e.g., R-SMe, R-NH2, R-CS2 -, R-S-). However, some anchoring groups that bind strongly to electrodes have poor/unknown stability, some have weak electrode coupling, while for some their binding motifs are not well defined. Further binding groups are required to aid molecular design and to achieve a suitable balance in performance across a range of properties. We present an in-depth investigation into the use of carbodithioate esters as contact groups for single-molecule conductance measurements, using scanning tunnelling microscopy break junction measurements (STM-BJ) and detailed surface spectroscopic analysis. We demonstrate that the methyl carbodithioate ester acts as an effective contact for gold electrodes in STM-BJ measurements. Surface enhanced Raman measurements demonstrate that the C=S functionality remains intact when adsorbed on to gold nanoparticles. A gold(I) complex was also synthesised showing a stable C=S→AuI interaction from the ester. Comparison with a benzyl thiomethyl ether demonstrates that the C=S moiety significantly contributes to charge transport in single-molecule junctions. The overall performance of the CS2Me group demonstrates it should be used more extensively and has strong potential for the fabrication of larger area devices with long-term stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan S Ward
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown St., Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
- Chemistry Department, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, UK
| | - Andrea Vezzoli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown St., Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Charlie Wells
- Physics Department, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, UK
| | - Steven Bailey
- Physics Department, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, UK
| | - Samuel P Jarvis
- Physics Department, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, UK
| | - Colin J Lambert
- Physics Department, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, UK
| | - Craig Robertson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown St., Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Richard J Nichols
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown St., Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Simon J Higgins
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown St., Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
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12
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Tanaka Y. Organometallics in molecular junctions: conductance, functions, and reactions. Dalton Trans 2024; 53:8512-8523. [PMID: 38712999 DOI: 10.1039/d4dt00668b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Molecular junctions, which involve sandwiching molecular structures between electrodes, play a crucial role in molecular electronics. Recent advances in this field have revealed the vital role of organometallic chemistry in the investigation of molecular junctions, which has added to their well-known contributions to catalysis and materials chemistry. This review summarizes the recent examples of organometallic chemistry applications in molecular junctions, which can be categorized into three types, i.e., class I encompassing molecular junctions with bridging organometallic complexes, class II involving molecular junctions with covalent and noncovalent metal electrode-carbon bonds, and class III comprising organometallic reactions within molecular junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Tanaka
- Laboratory for Chemistry and Life Science, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan.
- School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan
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13
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Li Q, Wu K, Zhu H, Yang Y, He S, Lian T. Charge Transfer from Quantum-Confined 0D, 1D, and 2D Nanocrystals. Chem Rev 2024; 124:5695-5763. [PMID: 38629390 PMCID: PMC11082908 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
The properties of colloidal quantum-confined semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), including zero-dimensional (0D) quantum dots, 1D nanorods, 2D nanoplatelets, and their heterostructures, can be tuned through their size, dimensionality, and material composition. In their photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications, a key step is to generate spatially separated and long-lived electrons and holes by interfacial charge transfer. These charge transfer properties have been extensively studied recently, which is the subject of this Review. The Review starts with a summary of the electronic structure and optical properties of 0D-2D nanocrystals, followed by the advances in wave function engineering, a novel way to control the spatial distribution of electrons and holes, through their size, dimension, and composition. It discusses the dependence of NC charge transfer on various parameters and the development of the Auger-assisted charge transfer model. Recent advances in understanding multiple exciton generation, decay, and dissociation are also discussed, with an emphasis on multiple carrier transfer. Finally, the applications of nanocrystal-based systems for photocatalysis are reviewed, focusing on the photodriven charge separation and recombination processes that dictate the function and performance of these materials. The Review ends with a summary and outlook of key remaining challenges and promising future directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyang Li
- Department
of Physics, University of Michigan, 450 Church St, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Kaifeng Wu
- State
Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Collaborative Innovation
Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023, China
- University
of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Haiming Zhu
- Department
of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027, China
| | - Ye Yang
- The
State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, iChEM
(Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials),
College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Sheng He
- Department
of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Tianquan Lian
- Department
of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
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14
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Guo HY, Pei LQ, Cai ZY, Sun N, Zheng JF, Shao Y, Wang YH, Wu DY, Jin S, Zhou XS. Effects of Connectivity Isomerization on Electron Transport Through Thiophene Heterocyclic Molecular Junction. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:9717-9724. [PMID: 38712354 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c00678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Connectivity isomerization of the same aromatic molecular core with different substitution positions profoundly affects electron transport pathways and single-molecule conductance. Herein, we designed and synthesized all connectivity isomers of a thiophene (TP) aromatic ring substituted by two dihydrobenzo[b]thiophene (BT) groups with ethynyl spacers (m,n-TP-BT, (m,n = 2,3; 2,4; 2,5; 3,4)), to systematically probe how connectivity contributes to single-molecule conductance. Single-molecule conductance measurements using a scanning tunneling microscopy break junction (STM-BJ) technique show ∼12-fold change in conductance values, which follow an order of 10-4.83 G0 (2,4-TP-BT) < 10-4.78 G0 (3,4-TP-BT) < 10-4.06 G0 (2,3-TP-BT) < 10-3.75 G0 (2,5-TP-BT). Electronic structure analysis and theoretical simulations show that the connectivity isomerization significantly changes electron delocalization and HOMO-LUMO energy gaps. Moreover, the connectivity-dependent molecular structures lead to different quantum interference (QI) effects in electron transport, e.g., a strong destructive QI near E = EF leads the smallest conductance value for 2,4-TP-BT. This work proves a clear relationship between the connectivity isomerization and single-molecule conductance of thiophene heterocyclic molecular junctions for the future design of molecular devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Yang Guo
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Lin-Qi Pei
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China
| | - Zhuan-Yun Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces and Department of Chemistry, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Nan Sun
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Ju-Fang Zheng
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Yong Shao
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Ya-Hao Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - De-Yin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces and Department of Chemistry, iChEM, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Shan Jin
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China
| | - Xiao-Shun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
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15
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Qiao X, Sil A, Sangtarash S, Smith SM, Wu C, Robertson CM, Nichols RJ, Higgins SJ, Sadeghi H, Vezzoli A. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Chemical Shift as a Probe for Single-Molecule Charge Transport. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202402413. [PMID: 38478719 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202402413] [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: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Existing modelling tools, developed to aid the design of efficient molecular wires and to better understand their charge-transport behaviour and mechanism, have limitations in accuracy and computational cost. Further research is required to develop faster and more precise methods that can yield information on how charge transport properties are impacted by changes in the chemical structure of a molecular wire. In this study, we report a clear semilogarithmic correlation between charge transport efficiency and nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shifts in multiple series of molecular wires, also accounting for the presence of chemical substituents. The NMR data was used to inform a simple tight-binding model that accurately captures the experimental single-molecule conductance values, especially useful in this case as more sophisticated density functional theory calculations fail due to inherent limitations. Our study demonstrates the potential of NMR spectroscopy as a valuable tool for characterising, rationalising, and gaining additional insights on the charge transport properties of single-molecule junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Qiao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, United Kingdom
| | - A Sil
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, United Kingdom
| | - S Sangtarash
- Device Modelling Group, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - S M Smith
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, United Kingdom
| | - C Wu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, United Kingdom
- Institute of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Faculty of Materials Metallurgy and Chemistry, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, 341000, China
| | - C M Robertson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, United Kingdom
| | - R J Nichols
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, United Kingdom
| | - S J Higgins
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, United Kingdom
| | - H Sadeghi
- Device Modelling Group, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - A Vezzoli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, United Kingdom
- Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, University of Liverpool, Peach Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZF, United Kingdom
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16
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Zhang X, Li Z, Ji S, Xu W, Chen L, Xiao Z, Liu J, Hong W. Plasmon-Molecule Interactions in Single-Molecule Junctions. Chempluschem 2024; 89:e202300556. [PMID: 38050755 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202300556] [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: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Single-molecule optoelectronics offers opportunities for advancing integrated photonics and electronics, which also serves as a tool to elucidate the underlying mechanism of light-matter interaction. Plasmonics, which plays pivotal role in the interaction of photons and matter, have became an emerging area. A comprehensive understanding of the plasmonic excitation and modulation mechanisms within single-molecule junctions (SMJs) lays the foundation for optoelectronic devices. Consequently, this review primarily concentrates on illuminating the fundamental principles of plasmonics within SMJs, delving into their research methods and modulation factors of plasmon-exciton. Moreover, we underscore the interaction phenomena within SMJs, including the enhancement of molecular fluorescence by plasmonics, Fano resonance and Rabi splitting caused by the interaction of plasmon-exciton. Finally, by emphasizing the potential applications of plasmonics within SMJs, such as their roles in optical tweezers, single-photon sources, super-resolution imaging, and chemical reactions, we elucidate the future prospects and current challenges in this domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361005, China
| | - Zhengyu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361005, China
| | - Shurui Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361005, China
| | - Wei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361005, China
| | - Lijue Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361005, China
| | - Zongyuan Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361005, China
| | - Junyang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361005, China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361005, China
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17
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Guo Y, Li M, Zhao C, Zhang Y, Jia C, Guo X. Understanding Emergent Complexity from a Single-Molecule Perspective. JACS AU 2024; 4:1278-1294. [PMID: 38665639 PMCID: PMC11040556 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Molecules, with structural, scaling, and interaction diversities, are crucial for the emergence of complex behaviors. Interactions are essential prerequisites for complex systems to exhibit emergent properties that surpass the sum of individual component characteristics. Tracing the origin of complex molecular behaviors from interactions is critical to understanding ensemble emergence, and requires insights at the single-molecule level. Electrical signals from single-molecule junctions enable the observation of individual molecular behaviors, as well as intramolecular and intermolecular interactions. This technique provides a foundation for bottom-up explorations of emergent complexity. This Perspective highlights investigations of various interactions via single-molecule junctions, including intramolecular orbital and weak intermolecular interactions and interactions in chemical reactions. It also provides potential directions for future single-molecule junctions in complex system research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Guo
- Beijing
National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, National Biomedical Imaging
Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 292 Chengfu Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Mingyao Li
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking
University, No.5 Yiheyuan
Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Cong Zhao
- Center
of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers
Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale
Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic
Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai
University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Yanfeng Zhang
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking
University, No.5 Yiheyuan
Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Chuancheng Jia
- Center
of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers
Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale
Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic
Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai
University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Xuefeng Guo
- Beijing
National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, National Biomedical Imaging
Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 292 Chengfu Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
- Center
of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers
Science Center for New Organic Matter, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale
Optical Information Science and Technology, College of Electronic
Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai
University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
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18
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Guo W, Quainoo T, Liu ZF, Li H. Robust binding between secondary amines and Au electrodes. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024; 60:3393-3396. [PMID: 38358011 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc04284g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
While primary amines are one of the most widely used linker groups for forming single-molecule junctions, it remains elusive whether and how the substitution of one hydrogen in a primary amine with a methyl group (secondary amine) can alter its functional properties as a linker group. Here we show that a robust binding between a secondary amine and an Au electrode is absent with the use of a non-coated Au tip and is achieved when in contact with a wax-coated Au tip, which we propose is catalyzed by the more frequent formation of Au adatoms in measurements with a wax-coated tip.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyi Guo
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Timothy Quainoo
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA
| | - Zhen-Fei Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA
| | - Haixing Li
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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19
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Long X, Xu W, Duan T, Lin L, Guo Y, Yan X, Cao J, Hu Y. Tuning charge transport by manipulating concentration dependent single-molecule absorption configurations. iScience 2024; 27:109292. [PMID: 38439976 PMCID: PMC10910293 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding and tuning charge transport in molecular junctions is pivotal for crafting molecular devices with tailored functionalities. Here, we report a novel approach to manipulate the absorption configuration within a 4,4'-bipyridine (4,4'-BPY) molecular junction, utilizing the scanning tunneling microscope break junction technique in a concentration-dependent manner. Single-molecule conductance measurements demonstrate that the molecular junctions exhibit a significant concentration dependence, with a transition from high conductance (HC) to low conductance (LC) states as the concentration decreases. Moreover, we identified an additional conductance state in the molecular junctions besides already known HC and LC states. Flicker noise analysis and theoretical calculations provided valuable insights into the underlying charge transport mechanisms and single-molecule absorption configurations concerning varying concentrations. These findings contribute to a fundamental comprehension of charge transport in concentration-dependent molecular junctions. Furthermore, they offer promising prospects for controlling single-molecule adsorption configurations, thereby paving the way for future molecular devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Long
- Hunan Institute of Advanced Sensing and Information Technology, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, China
| | - Wangping Xu
- Hunan Institute of Advanced Sensing and Information Technology, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, China
| | - Tingting Duan
- Hunan Institute of Advanced Sensing and Information Technology, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, China
| | - Liyan Lin
- College of Electronic and Optical Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, China
| | - Yandong Guo
- College of Electronic and Optical Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaohong Yan
- College of Electronic and Optical Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, China
| | - Juexian Cao
- Hunan Institute of Advanced Sensing and Information Technology, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, China
| | - Yong Hu
- Hunan Institute of Advanced Sensing and Information Technology, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, China
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20
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Al-Owaedi OA. Carbon Nanohoops: Multiple Molecular Templates for Exploring Spectroscopic, Electronic, and Thermoelectric Properties. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:10610-10620. [PMID: 38463279 PMCID: PMC10918671 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c08944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
A combination of density functional theory (DFT) methods and quantum transport theory (QTT) has been used to investigate the spectroscopic, electronic, and thermoelectric properties of carbon nanohoop molecules with different molecular templates. The connectivity type, along with inherent strain, impacts the transport behavior and creates a destructive quantum interference (DQI), which proves itself to be a powerful strategy to enhance the thermoelectric properties of these molecules, making them promising candidates for thermoelectric applications.
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21
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Chen Y, Bâldea I, Yu Y, Liang Z, Li MD, Koren E, Xie Z. CP-AFM Molecular Tunnel Junctions with Alkyl Backbones Anchored Using Alkynyl and Thiol Groups: Microscopically Different Despite Phenomenological Similarity. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:4410-4423. [PMID: 38348971 PMCID: PMC10906003 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
In this paper, we report results on the electronic structure and transport properties of molecular junctions fabricated via conducting probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM) using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of n-alkyl chains anchored with acetylene groups (CnA; n = 8, 9, 10, and 12) on Ag, Au, and Pt electrodes. We found that the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of CnA CP-AFM junctions can be very accurately reproduced by the same off-resonant single-level model (orSLM) successfully utilized previously for many other junctions. We demonstrate that important insight into the energy-level alignment can be gained from experimental data of transport (processed via the orSLM) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy combined with ab initio quantum chemical information based on the many-body outer valence Green's function method. Measured conductance GAg < GAu < GPt is found to follow the same ordering as the metal work function ΦAu < ΦAu < ΦPt, a fact that points toward a transport mediated by an occupied molecular orbital (MO). Still, careful data analysis surprisingly revealed that transport is not dominated by the ubiquitous HOMO but rather by the HOMO-1. This is an important difference from other molecular tunnel junctions with p-type HOMO-mediated conduction investigated in the past, including the alkyl thiols (CnT) to which we refer in view of some similarities. Furthermore, unlike in CnT and other junctions anchored with thiol groups investigated in the past, the AFM tip causes in CnA an additional MO shift, whose independence of size (n) rules out significant image charge effects. Along with the prevalence of the HOMO-1 over the HOMO, the impact of the "second" (tip) electrode on the energy level alignment is another important finding that makes the CnA and CnT junctions different. What ultimately makes CnA unique at the microscopic level is a salient difference never reported previously, namely, that CnA's alkyne functional group gives rise to two energetically close (HOMO and HOMO-1) orbitals. This distinguishes the present CnA from the CnT, whose HOMO stemming from its thiol group is well separated energetically from the other MOs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhong Chen
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel
Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory
of Materials and Technologies for Energy Conversion (MATEC), Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 241 Daxue Road, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China
| | - Ioan Bâldea
- Theoretical
Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 229, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yongxin Yu
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory
of Materials and Technologies for Energy Conversion (MATEC), Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 241 Daxue Road, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China
| | - Zining Liang
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory
of Materials and Technologies for Energy Conversion (MATEC), Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 241 Daxue Road, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China
| | - Ming-De Li
- Department
of Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Preparation and Application of
Ordered Structural Materials of Guangdong Province, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
| | - Elad Koren
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel
Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Zuoti Xie
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel
Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory
of Materials and Technologies for Energy Conversion (MATEC), Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 241 Daxue Road, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China
- Quantum
Science Center of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Guangdong), Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Science and Technology
Park, No. 3 Binglang
Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518048, China
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22
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Hight MO, Wong JY, Pimentel AE, Su TA. Intramolecular London Dispersion Interactions in Single-Molecule Junctions. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:4716-4726. [PMID: 38325000 PMCID: PMC10885141 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c12183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
This work shows the first example of using intramolecular London dispersion interactions to control molecular geometry and quantum transport in single-molecule junctions. Flexible σ-bonded molecular junctions typically occupy straight-chain geometries due to steric effects. Here, we synthesize a series of thiomethyl-terminated oligo(dimethylsilmethylene)s that bear [CH2-Si(CH3)2]n repeat units, where all backbone dihedral states are sterically equivalent. Scanning tunneling microscopy break-junction (STM-BJ) measurements and theoretical calculations indicate that in the absence of a strong steric bias concerted intramolecular London dispersion interactions staple the carbosilane backbone into coiled conformations that remain intact even as the junction is stretched to its breakpoint. As these kinked conformations are highly resistive to electronic transport, we observe record-high conductance decay values on an experimental junction length basis (β = 1.86 ± 0.12 Å-1). These studies reveal the potential of using intramolecular London dispersion interactions to design single-molecule electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew O Hight
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Joshua Y Wong
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Ashley E Pimentel
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Timothy A Su
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
- Materials Science & Engineering Program, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
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23
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Paoletta AL, Venkataraman L. Determining Transmission Characteristics from Shot-Noise-Driven Electroluminescence in Single-Molecule Junctions. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:1931-1935. [PMID: 38315038 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c04207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Biased metal-molecule-metal junctions emit light through electroluminescence, a phenomenon at the intersection of molecular electronics and nanoplasmonics. This can occur when the junction plasmon mode is excited by inelastic electron current fluctuations. Here, we simultaneously measure the conductance and electroluminescence intensity from single-molecule junctions with time resolution in a solution environment at room temperature. We use current versus bias data to determine the molecular junction transport parameters and then relate these to the expected current shot noise. We find that the electroluminescence signal accurately matches the theoretical prediction of shot-noise-driven emission in a large fraction of the molecular junctions studied. This introduces a novel experimental method for qualitatively estimating finite-frequency shot noise in single-molecule junctions under ambient conditions. We further demonstrate that electroluminescence can be used to obtain the level alignment of the frontier orbital dominating transport in the molecular junction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela L Paoletta
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Latha Venkataraman
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
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24
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Prindle CR, Shi W, Li L, Dahl Jensen J, Laursen BW, Steigerwald ML, Nuckolls C, Venkataraman L. Effective Gating in Single-Molecule Junctions through Fano Resonances. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:3646-3650. [PMID: 38293735 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c14226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The successful incorporation of molecules as active circuit elements relies on the ability to tune their electronic properties through chemical design. A synthetic strategy that has been used to manipulate and gate circuit conductance involves attaching a pendant substituent along the molecular conduction pathway. However, such a chemical gate has not yet been shown to significantly modify conductance. Here, we report a novel series of triarylmethylium and triangulenium carbocations gated by different substituents coupled to the delocalized conducting orbitals on the molecular backbone through a Fano resonance. By changing the pendant substituents to modulate the position of the Fano resonance and its coupling to the conducting orbitals, we can regulate the junction conductance by a remarkable factor of 450. This work thus provides a new design principle to enable effective chemical gating of single-molecule devices toward effective molecular transistors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia R Prindle
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Wanzhuo Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Liang Li
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Jesper Dahl Jensen
- Nano-Science Center and Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bo W Laursen
- Nano-Science Center and Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael L Steigerwald
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Colin Nuckolls
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Latha Venkataraman
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
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25
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Marongiu M, Ha T, Gil-Guerrero S, Garg K, Mandado M, Melle-Franco M, Diez-Perez I, Mateo-Alonso A. Molecular Graphene Nanoribbon Junctions. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:3963-3973. [PMID: 38305745 PMCID: PMC10870704 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c11340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
One of the challenges for the realization of molecular electronics is the design of nanoscale molecular wires displaying long-range charge transport. Graphene nanoribbons are an attractive platform for the development of molecular wires with long-range conductance owing to their unique electrical properties. Despite their potential, the charge transport properties of single nanoribbons remain underexplored. Herein, we report a synthetic approach to prepare N-doped pyrene-pyrazinoquinoxaline molecular graphene nanoribbons terminated with diamino anchoring groups at each end. These terminal groups allow for the formation of stable molecular graphene nanoribbon junctions between two metal electrodes that were investigated by scanning tunneling microscope-based break-junction measurements. The experimental and computational results provide evidence of long-range tunneling charge transport in these systems characterized by a shallow conductance length dependence and electron tunneling through >6 nm molecular backbone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Marongiu
- POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Avenida de Tolosa 72, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Tracy Ha
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural & Mathematical Sciences, King’s College London, Britannia House, 7 Trinity Street, SE1 1DB London, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Gil-Guerrero
- CICECO—Aveiro
Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Kavita Garg
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural & Mathematical Sciences, King’s College London, Britannia House, 7 Trinity Street, SE1 1DB London, United Kingdom
| | - Marcos Mandado
- Department
of Physical Chemistry, University of Vigo, Lagoas-Marcosende s/n, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Manuel Melle-Franco
- CICECO—Aveiro
Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Ismael Diez-Perez
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural & Mathematical Sciences, King’s College London, Britannia House, 7 Trinity Street, SE1 1DB London, United Kingdom
| | - Aurelio Mateo-Alonso
- POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Avenida de Tolosa 72, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque
Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
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26
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Guo MM, Jiang Y, Wang JY, Chen ZN, Hou S, Zhang QC. Effectively Enhancing the Conductance of Asymmetric Molecular Wires by Aligning the Energy Level and Symmetrizing the Coupling. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024. [PMID: 38332611 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
An asymmetric structure is an important strategy for designing highly conductive molecular wires for a gap-fixed molecular circuit. As the conductance enhancement in the current strategy is still limited to about 2 times, we inserted a methylene group as a spacer in a conjugated structure to modulate the structural symmetry. We found that the conductance drastically enhanced in the asymmetric molecular wire to 1.5 orders of magnitude as high as that in the symmetric molecular wire. First-principles quantum transport studies attributed the effective enhancement to the synchronization of improved energy alignment and nearly symmetric coupling between the frontier orbitals and the electrodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Meng Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuxuan Jiang
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, School of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
- Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin-Yun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhong-Ning Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, People's Republic of China
| | - Shimin Hou
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, School of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
- Centre for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian-Chong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, People's Republic of China
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27
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Jago D, Liu C, Daaoub AHS, Gaschk E, Walkey MC, Pulbrook T, Qiao X, Sobolev AN, Moggach SA, Costa-Milan D, Higgins SJ, Piggott MJ, Sadeghi H, Nichols RJ, Sangtarash S, Vezzoli A, Koutsantonis GA. An Orthogonal Conductance Pathway in Spiropyrans for Well-Defined Electrosteric Switching Single-Molecule Junctions. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2306334. [PMID: 37817372 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202306334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
While a multitude of studies have appeared touting the use of molecules as electronic components, the design of molecular switches is crucial for the next steps in molecular electronics. In this work, single-molecule devices incorporating spiropyrans, made using break junction techniques, are described. Linear spiropyrans with electrode-contacting groups linked by alkynyl spacers to both the indoline and chromenone moieties have previously provided very low conductance values, and removing the alkynyl spacer has resulted in a total loss of conductance. An orthogonal T-shaped approach to single-molecule junctions incorporating spiropyran moieties in which the conducting pathway lies orthogonal to the molecule backbone is described and characterized. This approach has provided singlemolecule conductance features with good correlation to molecular length. Additional higher conducting states are accessible using switching induced by UV light or protonation. Theoretical modeling demonstrates that upon (photo)chemical isomerization to the merocyanine, two cooperating phenomena increase conductance: release of steric hindrance allows the conductance pathway to become more planar (raising the mid-bandgap transmission) and a bound state introduces sharp interference near the Fermi level of the electrodes similarly responding to the change in state. This design step paves the way for future use of spiropyrans in single-molecule devices and electrosteric switches.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Jago
- School of Molecular Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Chongguang Liu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | | | - Emma Gaschk
- School of Molecular Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Mark C Walkey
- School of Molecular Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Thea Pulbrook
- School of Molecular Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Xiaohang Qiao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Alexandre N Sobolev
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Stephen A Moggach
- School of Molecular Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - David Costa-Milan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Simon J Higgins
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Matthew J Piggott
- School of Molecular Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Hatef Sadeghi
- School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Richard J Nichols
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Sara Sangtarash
- School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Andrea Vezzoli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - George A Koutsantonis
- School of Molecular Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
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28
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Chen L, Yang Z, Lin Q, Li X, Bai J, Hong W. Evolution of Single-Molecule Electronic Interfaces. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:1988-2004. [PMID: 38227964 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Single-molecule electronics can fabricate single-molecule devices via the construction of molecule-electrode interfaces and also provide a unique tool to investigate single-molecule scale physicochemical processes at these interfaces. To investigate single-molecule electronic devices with desired functionalities, an understanding of the interface evolution processes in single-molecule devices is essential. In this review, we focus on the evolution of molecule-electrode interface properties, including the background of interface evolution in single-molecule electronics, the construction of different types of single-molecule interfaces, and the regulation methods. Finally, we discuss the perspective of future characterization techniques and applications for single-molecule electronic interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lichuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, China
| | - Zixian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, China
| | - Qichao Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, China
| | - Xiaohui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & College of Materials & IKKEM, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, 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 361000, 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 361000, China
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29
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Lawson B, Skipper HE, Kamenetska M. Phenol is a pH-activated linker to gold: a single molecule conductance study. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:2022-2029. [PMID: 38197186 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr05257e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Single molecule conductance measurements typically rely on functional linker groups to anchor the molecule to the conductive electrodes through a donor-acceptor or covalent bond. While many linking moieties, such as thiols, amines, thiothers and phosphines have been used among others, very few involve oxygen binding directly to gold electrodes. Here, we report successful single molecule conductance measurements using hydroxy (OH)-containing phenol linkers and show that the molecule-gold attachment and electron transport are mediated by a direct O-Au bond. We find that deprotonation of the hydroxy moiety is necessary for metal-molecule binding to proceed, so that junction formation can be activated through pH control. Electronic structure and DFT+Σ transport calculations confirm our experimental findings that phenolate-terminated alkanes can anchor on the gold and show charge transport trends consistent with prior observations of alkane conductance with other linker groups. Critically, the deprotonated O--Au binding shows features similar to the thiolate-Au bond, but without the junction disruption caused by intercalation of sulfur into electrode tips often observed with thiol-terminated molecules. By comparing the conductance and binding features of O-Au and S-Au bonds, this study provides insight into the aspects of Au-linker bonding that promote reproducible and robust single molecule junction measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent Lawson
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA.
| | - Hannah E Skipper
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA
| | - Maria Kamenetska
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA
- Division of Material Science and Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA
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30
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Dalmieda J, Shi W, Li L, Venkataraman L. Solvent-Mediated Modulation of the Au-S Bond in Dithiol Molecular Junctions. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:703-707. [PMID: 38175934 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c04058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Gold-dithiol molecular junctions have been studied both experimentally and theoretically. However, the nature of the gold-thiolate bond as it relates to the solvent has seldom been investigated. It is known that solvents can impact the electronic structure of single-molecule junctions, but the correlation between the solvent and dithiol-linked single-molecule junction conductance is not well understood. We study molecular junctions formed with thiol-terminated phenylenes from both 1-chloronaphthalene and 1-bromonaphthalene solutions. We find that the most probable conductance and the distribution of conductances are both affected by the solvent. First-principles calculations show that junction conductance depends on the binding configurations (adatom, atop, and bridge) of the thiolate on the Au surface, as has been shown previously. More importantly, we find that brominated solvents can restrict the binding of thiols to specific Au sites. This mechanism offers new insight into the effects of the solvent environment on covalent bonding in molecular junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnson Dalmieda
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, 3000 Broadway, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Wanzhuo Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, 3000 Broadway, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Liang Li
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, 3000 Broadway, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Latha Venkataraman
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, 3000 Broadway, New York, New York 10027, United States
- Department of Applied Physics, Columbia University, 500 West 120th Street, New York, New York 10027, United States
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31
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Amamizu N, Nishida M, Sasaki K, Kishi R, Kitagawa Y. Theoretical Study on the Open-Shell Electronic Structure and Electron Conductivity of [18]Annulene as a Molecular Parallel Circuit Model. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 14:98. [PMID: 38202553 PMCID: PMC10781064 DOI: 10.3390/nano14010098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Herein, the electron conductivities of [18]annulene and its derivatives are theoretically examined as a molecular parallel circuit model consisting of two linear polyenes. Their electron conductivities are estimated by elastic scattering Green's function (ESGF) theory and density functional theory (DFT) methods. The calculated conductivity of the [18]annulene does not follow the classical conductivity, i.e., Ohm's law, suggesting the importance of a quantum interference effect in single molecules. By introducing electron-withdrawing groups into the annulene framework, on the other hand, a spin-polarized electronic structure appears, and the quantum interference effect is significantly suppressed. In addition, the total current is affected by the spin polarization because of the asymmetry in the coupling constant between the molecule and electrodes. From these results, it is suggested that the electron conductivity as well as the quantum interference effect of π-conjugated molecular systems can be designed using their open-shell nature, which is chemically controlled by the substituents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoka Amamizu
- Department of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan; (M.N.); (K.S.); (R.K.)
| | - Mitsuhiro Nishida
- Department of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan; (M.N.); (K.S.); (R.K.)
| | - Keisuke Sasaki
- Department of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan; (M.N.); (K.S.); (R.K.)
| | - Ryohei Kishi
- Department of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan; (M.N.); (K.S.); (R.K.)
- Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Biology (QIQB), International Advanced Research Institute (IARI), Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry (RCSEC), Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
- Innovative Catalysis Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (ICS-OTRI), Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yasutaka Kitagawa
- Department of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan; (M.N.); (K.S.); (R.K.)
- Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Biology (QIQB), International Advanced Research Institute (IARI), Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
- Research Center for Solar Energy Chemistry (RCSEC), Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
- Innovative Catalysis Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (ICS-OTRI), Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Spintronics Research Network Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (SRN-OTRI), Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
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32
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Chelli Y, Ferri N, Vezzoli A, Davidson RJ, Morris J, Nichols RJ, Higgins SJ, Sangtarash S, Sadeghi H, Yufit DS, Beeby A. Connectivity-Dependent Conductance of 2,2'-Bipyridine-Based Metal Complexes. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:48958-48965. [PMID: 38162767 PMCID: PMC10753655 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c06555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The present work provides an insight into the effect of connectivity isomerization of metal-2,2'-bipyridine complexes. For that purpose, two new 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) ligand systems, 4,4'-bis(4-(methylthio)phenyl)-2,2'-bipyridine (Lmeta) and 5,5'-bis(3,3-dimethyl-2,3-dihydrobenzothiophen-5-yl)-2,2'-bipyridine (Lpara) were synthesized and coordinated to rhenium and manganese to obtain the corresponding complexes MnLmeta(CO)3Br, ReLmeta(CO)3Br, MnLpara(CO)3Br, MoLpara(CO)4 and ReLpara(CO)3Br. The experimental and theoretical results revealed that coordination to the para system, i.e., the metal ion peripheral to the conductance path, gave a slightly increased conductance compared to the free ligand attributed to the reduced highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-least unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) gap. The meta-based system formed a destructive quantum interference feature that reduced the conductance of a S···S contacted junction to below 10-5.5Go, reinforcing the importance of contact group connectivity for molecular wire conductance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahia Chelli
- School
of Engineering, University of Warwick, Library Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.
| | - Nicolò Ferri
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K.
| | - Andrea Vezzoli
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K.
| | - Ross J. Davidson
- Department
of Chemistry, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, U.K.
| | - James Morris
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K.
| | - Richard J. Nichols
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K.
| | - Simon J. Higgins
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K.
| | - Sara Sangtarash
- School
of Engineering, University of Warwick, Library Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.
| | - Hatef Sadeghi
- School
of Engineering, University of Warwick, Library Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.
| | - Dmitry S. Yufit
- Department
of Chemistry, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, U.K.
| | - Andrew Beeby
- Department
of Chemistry, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, U.K.
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33
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Taherinia D, Frisbie CD. Deciphering I-V characteristics in molecular electronics with the benefit of an analytical model. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:32305-32316. [PMID: 37991400 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03877g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
We share our perspective that a simple analytical model for electron tunneling in molecular junctions can greatly aid quantitative analysis of experimental data in molecular electronics. In particular, the single-level model (SLM), derived from first principles, provides a precise prediction for the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics in terms of key electronic structure parameters, which in turn depend on the molecular and contact architecture. SLM analysis thus facilitates understanding of structure-property relationships and provides metrics that can be compared across different types of tunnel junctions, as we illustrate with several examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davood Taherinia
- Department of Chemistry, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11155-9516, Iran
| | - C Daniel Frisbie
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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34
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Mejía L, Cossio P, Franco I. Microscopic theory, analysis, and interpretation of conductance histograms in molecular junctions. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7646. [PMID: 37996422 PMCID: PMC10667247 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43169-3] [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: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular electronics break-junction experiments are widely used to investigate fundamental physics and chemistry at the nanoscale. Reproducibility in these experiments relies on measuring conductance on thousands of freshly formed molecular junctions, yielding a broad histogram of conductance events. Experiments typically focus on the most probable conductance, while the information content of the conductance histogram has remained unclear. Here we develop a microscopic theory for the conductance histogram by merging the theory of force-spectroscopy with molecular conductance. The procedure yields analytical equations that accurately fit the conductance histogram of a wide range of molecular junctions and augments the information content that can be extracted from them. Our formulation captures contributions to the conductance dispersion due to conductance changes during the mechanical elongation inherent to the experiments. In turn, the histogram shape is determined by the non-equilibrium stochastic features of junction rupture and formation. The microscopic parameters in the theory capture the junction's electromechanical properties and can be isolated from separate conductance and rupture force (or junction-lifetime) measurements. The predicted behavior can be used to test the range of validity of the theory, understand the conductance histograms, design molecular junction experiments with enhanced resolution and molecular devices with more reproducible conductance properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leopoldo Mejía
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Pilar Cossio
- Center for Computational Mathematics, Flatiron Institute, New York City, NY, 10010, USA
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York City, NY, 10010, USA
- Biophysics of Tropical Diseases Max Planck Tandem Group, University of Antioquia, 050010, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Ignacio Franco
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA.
- Department of Physics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA.
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35
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Chandra S, Williams A, Maksudov F, Kliuchnikov E, Pattiya Arachchillage KGG, Piscitelli P, Castillo A, Marx KA, Barsegov V, Artes Vivancos JM. Charge transport in individual short base stacked single-stranded RNA molecules. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19858. [PMID: 37963922 PMCID: PMC10645971 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46263-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Charge transport in biomolecules is crucial for many biological and technological applications, including biomolecular electronics devices and biosensors. RNA has become the focus of research because of its importance in biomedicine, but its charge transport properties are not well understood. Here, we use the Scanning Tunneling Microscopy-assisted molecular break junction method to measure the electrical conductance of particular 5-base and 10-base single-stranded (ss) RNA sequences capable of base stacking. These ssRNA sequences show single-molecule conductance values around [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]), while equivalent-length ssDNAs result in featureless conductance histograms. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra and MD simulations reveal the existence of extended ssRNA conformations versus folded ssDNA conformations, consistent with their different electrical behaviors. Computational molecular modeling and Machine Learning-assisted interpretation of CD data helped us to disentangle the structural and electronic factors underlying CT, thus explaining the observed electrical behavior differences. RNA with a measurable conductance corresponds to sequences with overall extended base-stacking stabilized conformations characterized by lower HOMO energy levels delocalized over a base-stacking mediating CT pathway. In contrast, DNA and a control RNA sequence without significant base-stacking tend to form closed structures and thus are incapable of efficient CT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subrata Chandra
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, 01854, USA
| | - Ajoke Williams
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, 01854, USA
| | - Farkhad Maksudov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, 01854, USA
| | | | | | - Patrick Piscitelli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, 01854, USA
| | - Aderlyn Castillo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, 01854, USA
| | - Kenneth A Marx
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, 01854, USA
| | - Valeri Barsegov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, 01854, USA.
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36
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Gunasinghe Pattiya Arachchillage KG, Chandra S, Williams A, Rangan S, Piscitelli P, Florence L, Ghosal Gupta S, Artes Vivancos JM. A single-molecule RNA electrical biosensor for COVID-19. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 239:115624. [PMID: 37639885 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic shows a critical need for rapid, inexpensive, and ultrasensitive early detection methods based on biomarker analysis to reduce mortality rates by containing the spread of epidemics. This can be achieved through the electrical detection of nucleic acids at the single-molecule level. In particular, the scanning tunneling microscopic-assisted break junction (STM-BJ) method can be utilized to detect individual nucleic acid molecules with high specificity and sensitivity in liquid samples. Here, we demonstrate single-molecule electrical detection of RNA coronavirus biomarkers, including those of SARS-CoV-2 as well as those of different variants and subvariants. Our target sequences include a conserved sequence in the human coronavirus family, a conserved target specific for the SARS-CoV-2 family, and specific targets at the variant and subvariant levels. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to distinguish between different variants of the COVID-19 virus using electrical conductance signals, as recently suggested by theoretical approaches. Our results pave the way for future miniaturized single-molecule electrical biosensors that could be game changers for infectious diseases and other public health applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Subrata Chandra
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, 01854, MA, USA
| | - Ajoke Williams
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, 01854, MA, USA
| | - Srijith Rangan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, 01854, MA, USA
| | - Patrick Piscitelli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, 01854, MA, USA
| | - Lily Florence
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, 01854, MA, USA
| | | | - Juan M Artes Vivancos
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, 01854, MA, USA.
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37
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Yan SS, Chen LC, Wang JY, Duan P, Pan ZY, Qu K, Hong W, Chen ZN, Zhang QC. Exploring a Linear Combination Feature for Predicting the Conductance of Parallel Molecular Circuits. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:9399-9405. [PMID: 37877237 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
An accurate rule for predicting conductance is the cornerstone of developing molecular circuits and provides a promising solution for miniaturizing electric circuits. The successful prediction of series molecular circuits has proven the possibility of establishing a rule for molecular circuits under quantum mechanics. However, the quantitatively accurate prediction has not been validated by experiments for parallel molecular circuits. Here we used 1,3-dihydrobenzothiophene (DBT) to build the parallel molecular circuits. The theoretical simulation and single-molecule conductance measurements demonstrated that the conductance of the molecule containing one DBT is the unprecedented linear combination of the conductance of the two individual channels with respective contribution weights of 0.37 and 0.63. With these weights, the conductance of the molecule containing two DBTs is predicted as 1.81 nS, matching perfectly with the measured conductance (1.82 nS). This feature offers a potential rule for quantitatively predicting the conductance of parallel molecular circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai-Sai Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Li-Chuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Jin-Yun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Ping Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Zi-You Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Kai Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Wenjing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Zhong-Ning Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
- Fujian Science & Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qian-Chong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
- Fujian Science & Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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38
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Zhang W, Zhao Z, Tan M, Adijiang A, Zhong S, Xu X, Zhao T, Ramya E, Sun L, Zhao X, Fan Z, Xiang D. Regulating the orientation of a single coordinate bond by the synergistic action of mechanical forces and electric field. Chem Sci 2023; 14:11456-11465. [PMID: 37886107 PMCID: PMC10599463 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc03892k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular binding orientation with respect to the electrode plays a pivotal role in determining the performance of molecular devices. However, accomplishing in situ modulation of single-molecule binding orientation remains a great challenge due to the lack of suitable testing systems and characterization approaches. To this end, by employing a developed STM-BJ technique, we demonstrate that the conductance of pyridine-anchored molecular junctions decreases as the applied voltage increases, which is determined by the repeated formation of thousands of gold-molecule-gold dynamic break junctions. In contrast, the static fixed molecular junctions (the distance between two electrodes is fixed) with identical molecules exhibit a reverse tendency as the bias voltage increases. Supported by flicker noise measurements and theoretical calculations, we provide compelling evidence that the orientation of nitrogen-gold bonds (a universal coordinate bond) in the pyridine-anchored molecular junctions can be manipulated to align with the electric field by the synergistic action of the mechanical stretching force and the electric fields, whereas either stimulus alone cannot achieve the same effect. Our study provides a framework for characterizing and regulating the orientation of a single coordinate bond, offering an approach to control electron transport through single molecular junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- Institute of Modern Optics, Center of Single Molecule Sciences, Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Zhibin Zhao
- Institute of Modern Optics, Center of Single Molecule Sciences, Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Min Tan
- Institute of Modern Optics, Center of Single Molecule Sciences, Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Adila Adijiang
- Institute of Modern Optics, Center of Single Molecule Sciences, Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Shurong Zhong
- Institute of Modern Optics, Center of Single Molecule Sciences, Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Xiaona Xu
- Institute of Modern Optics, Center of Single Molecule Sciences, Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Tianran Zhao
- Institute of Modern Optics, Center of Single Molecule Sciences, Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Emusani Ramya
- Institute of Modern Optics, Center of Single Molecule Sciences, Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Lu Sun
- Institute of Modern Optics, Center of Single Molecule Sciences, Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Xueyan Zhao
- Institute of Modern Optics, Center of Single Molecule Sciences, Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University Tianjin 300350 China
| | - Zhiqiang Fan
- School of Physics and Electronic Science, Changsha University of Science and Technology Changsha 410114 China
| | - Dong Xiang
- Institute of Modern Optics, Center of Single Molecule Sciences, Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Nankai University Tianjin 300350 China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, Nankai University Tianjin 300350 China
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Li J, Shen P, Zhuang Z, Wu J, Tang BZ, Zhao Z. In-situ electro-responsive through-space coupling enabling foldamers as volatile memory elements. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6250. [PMID: 37802995 PMCID: PMC10558558 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42028-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated processing units are fundamental components for non-von Neumann architectures like memristor and electric synapses, on which nanoscale molecular electronics have possessed great potentials. Here, tailored foldamers with furan‒benzene stacking (f-Fu) and thiophene‒benzene stacking (f-Th) are designed to decipher electro-responsive through-space interaction, which achieve volatile memory behaviors via quantum interference switching in single-molecule junctions. f-Fu exhibits volatile turn-on feature while f-Th performs stochastic turn-off feature with low voltages as 0.2 V. The weakened orbital through-space mixing induced by electro-polarization dominates stacking malposition and quantum interference switching. f-Fu possesses higher switching probability and faster responsive time, while f-Th suffers incomplete switching and longer responsive time. High switching ratios of up to 91 for f-Fu is realized by electrochemical gating. These findings provide evidence and interpretation of the electro-responsiveness of non-covalent interaction at single-molecule level and offer design strategies of molecular non-von Neumann architectures like true random number generator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinshi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Pingchuan Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Zeyan Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Junqi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Ben Zhong Tang
- School of Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Aggregate Science and Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, China
| | - Zujin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
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40
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Reimers JR, Li T, Birvé AP, Yang L, Aragonès AC, Fallon T, Kosov DS, Darwish N. Controlling piezoresistance in single molecules through the isomerisation of bullvalenes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6089. [PMID: 37789027 PMCID: PMC10547723 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41674-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanoscale electro-mechanical systems (NEMS) displaying piezoresistance offer unique measurement opportunities at the sub-cellular level, in detectors and sensors, and in emerging generations of integrated electronic devices. Here, we show a single-molecule NEMS piezoresistor that operates utilising constitutional and conformational isomerisation of individual diaryl-bullvalene molecules and can be switched at 850 Hz. Observations are made using scanning tunnelling microscopy break junction (STMBJ) techniques to characterise piezoresistance, combined with blinking (current-time) experiments that follow single-molecule reactions in real time. A kinetic Monte Carlo methodology (KMC) is developed to simulate isomerisation on the experimental timescale, parameterised using density-functional theory (DFT) combined with non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) calculations. Results indicate that piezoresistance is controlled by both constitutional and conformational isomerisation, occurring at rates that are either fast (equilibrium) or slow (non-equilibrium) compared to the experimental timescale. Two different types of STMBJ traces are observed, one typical of traditional experiments that are interpreted in terms of intramolecular isomerisation occurring on stable tipped-shaped metal-contact junctions, and another attributed to arise from junction‒interface restructuring induced by bullvalene isomerisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey R Reimers
- International Centre for Quantum and Molecular Structures and the Department of Physics, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China.
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia.
| | - Tiexin Li
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - André P Birvé
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Likun Yang
- International Centre for Quantum and Molecular Structures and the Department of Physics, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Albert C Aragonès
- Department of Materials Science and Physical Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Marti i Franquès 1, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Diagonal 645, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Thomas Fallon
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
| | - Daniel S Kosov
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.
| | - Nadim Darwish
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.
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41
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Imex Aguirre Cardenas M, Siu TC, Pimentel AE, Hight MO, Shimono MG, Thai S, Carta V, Su TA. Installing Quaternary Germanium Centers in Sila-Diamondoid Cores via Skeletal Isomerization. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:20588-20594. [PMID: 37683101 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c07290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
This manuscript describes skeletal isomerization strategies to install one to four quaternary germanium atoms in the sila-adamantane core, in a cluster analogy to precision germanium doping in silicon-germanium alloys. The first strategy embodies an inorganic variant of single-atom skeletal editing, where we use a sila-Wagner-Meerwein bond shift cascade to exchange a peripheral Ge atom with a core Si atom. We can install up to four Ge atoms at the quaternary diamondoid centers based on controlling the SixGey stoichiometry of our precursor. We find that bridgehead Ge centers can be selectively functionalized over bridgehead Si centers in SiGe adamantanes; we use this chemistry in conjunction with scanning tunneling microscopy break-junction (STM-BJ) measurements to show that Si8Ge2 adamantane wires give a 60% increase in single-molecule conductance compared with Si10 adamantanes. These studies describe the first quantum transport measurements in sila-diamondoid structures, and demonstrate how main-chain Ge doping can be used to increase electronic transmission in sila-diamondoid-based molecular wires.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Imex Aguirre Cardenas
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Timothy C Siu
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Ashley E Pimentel
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Matthew O Hight
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Miku G Shimono
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Shalivahana Thai
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Veronica Carta
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Timothy A Su
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
- Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
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42
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Yang C, Hu W, Guo X. Precise Detection, Control and Synthesis of Chiral Compounds at Single-Molecule Resolution. NANO-MICRO LETTERS 2023; 15:211. [PMID: 37698706 PMCID: PMC10497494 DOI: 10.1007/s40820-023-01184-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Chirality, as the symmetric breaking of molecules, plays an essential role in physical, chemical and especially biological processes, which highlights the accurate distinction among heterochiralities as well as the precise preparation for homochirality. To this end, the well-designed structure-specific recognizer and catalysis reactor are necessitated, respectively. However, each kind of target molecules requires a custom-made chiral partner and the dynamic disorder of spatial-orientation distribution of molecules at the ensemble level leads to an inefficient protocol. In this perspective article, we developed a universal strategy capable of realizing the chirality detection and control by the external symmetry breaking based on the alignment of the molecular frame to external stimuli. Specifically, in combination with the discussion about the relationship among the chirality (molecule), spin (electron) and polarization (photon), i.e., the three natural symmetry breaking, single-molecule junctions were proposed to achieve a single-molecule/event-resolved detection and synthesis. The fixation of the molecular orientation and the CMOS-compatibility provide an efficient interface to achieve the external input of symmetry breaking. This perspective is believed to offer more efficient applications in accurate chirality detection and precise asymmetric synthesis via the close collaboration of chemists, physicists, materials scientists, and engineers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Yang
- 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
| | - Weilin Hu
- 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
- 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.
- Center of Single-Molecule Sciences, Institute of Modern Optics, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Road, Jinnan District, Tianjin, 300350, People's Republic of China.
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43
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Zhou P, Fu Y, Wang M, Qiu R, Wang Y, Stoddart JF, Wang Y, Chen H. Robust Single-Supermolecule Switches Operating in Response to Two Different Noncovalent Interactions. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:18800-18811. [PMID: 37590178 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c03282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Supramolecular electronics provide an opportunity to introduce molecular assemblies into electronic devices through a combination of noncovalent interactions such as [π···π] and hydrogen-bonding interactions. The fidelity and dynamics of noncovalent interactions hold considerable promise when it comes to building devices with controllable and reproducible switching functions. Here, we demonstrate a strategy for building electronically robust switches by harnessing two different noncovalent interactions between a couple of pyridine derivatives. The single-supermolecule switch is turned ON when compressing the junction enabling [π···π] interactions to dominate the transport, while the switch is turned OFF by stretching the junction to form hydrogen-bonded dimers, leading to a dramatic decrease in conductance. The robustness and reproducibility of these single-supermolecule switches were achieved by modulating the junction with Ångström precision at frequencies of up to 190 Hz while obtaining high ON/OFF ratios of ∼600. The research presented herein opens up an avenue for designing robust bistable mechanoresponsive devices which will find applications in the building of integrated circuits for microelectromechanical systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Zhou
- Stoddart Institute of Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311215, China
| | - Yanjun Fu
- Stoddart Institute of Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311215, China
| | - Maolin Wang
- Stoddart Institute of Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311215, China
| | - Renhui Qiu
- Stoddart Institute of Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311215, China
| | - Yuwei Wang
- Stoddart Institute of Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311215, China
| | - J Fraser Stoddart
- Stoddart Institute of Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311215, China
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Yuping Wang
- Stoddart Institute of Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311215, China
| | - Hongliang Chen
- Stoddart Institute of Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311215, China
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44
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Li W, Qu F, Liu L, Zhang Z, Zheng C, Wang L, Wang C, Wang T. Structure and single-molecule conductance of two endohedral metallofullerenes with large C 88 cage. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:13645-13652. [PMID: 37551614 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr02389c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Endohedral metallofullerenes are capable of holding peculiar metal clusters inside the carbon cage. Additionally, these display many chemical and physical properties originating from the complexation between the metal clusters and carbon cages, which could be acquired for wide applications. In this study, two metallofullerenes (Ce2O@C88 and Ce3N@C88) with an identical large C88-D2(35) cage, and their molecular structures and single-molecule conductance properties were investigated comparatively. Characterizations of UV-vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and DFT calculations were employed to determine the geometries and electronic structures of Ce2O@C88 and Ce3N@C88. These molecules revealed varied energy gaps, structural parameters, vibrational modes, and molecular frontier orbitals. Although the two metallofullerenes have an identical cage isomer of C88-D2(35), their different endohedral clusters can influence their structures and physicochemical properties. Furthermore, the single-molecule conductance properties were measured using the scanning tunneling microscopy break junction technique (STM-BJ). The experimental results revealed that Ce2O@C88 has a higher conductance than Ce3N@C88 and C60. This revealed the cluster-dependent electron transportation as well as the significant research value of metallofullerenes with large carbon cages. These results provide guidance for fabricating single-molecule electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Fayu Qu
- School of Materials Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Linshan Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
- College of Chemistry, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Zhuxia Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Chaofeng Zheng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Lin Wang
- School of Materials Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Chunru Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Taishan Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
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45
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Li L, Prindle CR, Shi W, Nuckolls C, Venkataraman L. Radical Single-Molecule Junctions. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:18182-18204. [PMID: 37555594 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c04487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Radicals are unique molecular systems for applications in electronic devices due to their open-shell electronic structures. Radicals can function as good electrical conductors and switches in molecular circuits while also holding great promise in the field of molecular spintronics. However, it is both challenging to create stable, persistent radicals and to understand their properties in molecular junctions. The goal of this Perspective is to address this dual challenge by providing design principles for the synthesis of stable radicals relevant to molecular junctions, as well as offering current insight into the electronic properties of radicals in single-molecule devices. By exploring both the chemical and physical properties of established radical systems, we will facilitate increased exploration and development of radical-based molecular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Li
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Claudia R Prindle
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Wanzhuo Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Colin Nuckolls
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Latha Venkataraman
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
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46
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Zhang C, Zhou X, Zhu C, Zong Y, Cao H. STM studies on porphyrins and phthalocyanines at the liquid/solid interface for molecular-scale electronics. Dalton Trans 2023; 52:11017-11024. [PMID: 37529933 DOI: 10.1039/d3dt01518a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Porphyrins and phthalocyanines are promising candidates for single-molecule electronics. Among the many characterization tools, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) represents a very powerful one to gain insight into the electronic properties at the molecular level, by correlating the charge transport behaviours of π-conjugated molecules with ultrahigh resolution imaging. In view of the sophistication of molecular self-assembly in the presence of a solution phase, in this frontier, we focus on STM studies on porphyrins and phthalocyanines at the liquid/solid interface, placing emphasis on the electronic and magnetic properties, as well as the switching behaviour of surface-confined or surface-anchored molecules. Furthermore, we have also addressed the topics of potential that can be exploited in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Xin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Chunlei Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Yufen Zong
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Hai Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China.
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47
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Pan X, Montes E, Rojas WY, Lawson B, Vázquez H, Kamenetska M. Cooperative Self-Assembly of Dimer Junctions Driven by π Stacking Leads to Conductance Enhancement. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:6937-6943. [PMID: 37486358 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c01540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate enhanced electronic transport through dimer molecular junctions, which self-assemble between two gold electrodes in π-π stabilized binding configurations. Single molecule junction conductance measurements show that benzimidazole molecules assemble into dimer junctions with a per-molecule conductance that is higher than that in monomer junctions. Density functional theory calculations reveal that parallel stacking of two benzimidazoles between electrodes is the most energetically favorable due to the large π system. Imidazole is smaller and has greater conformational freedom to access different stacking angles. Transport calculations confirm that the conductance enhancement of benzimidazole dimers results from the changed binding geometry of dimers on gold, which is stabilized and made energetically accessible by intermolecular π stacking. We engineer imidazole derivatives with higher monomer conductance than benzimidazole and large intermolecular interaction that promote cooperative in situ assembly of more transparent dimer junctions and suggest at the potential of molecular devices based on self-assembled molecular layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyun Pan
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Enrique Montes
- Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnická 10, Prague CZ-162 00, Czech Republic
| | - Wudmir Y Rojas
- Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnická 10, Prague CZ-162 00, Czech Republic
| | - Brent Lawson
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Héctor Vázquez
- Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Cukrovarnická 10, Prague CZ-162 00, Czech Republic
| | - Maria Kamenetska
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02155, United States
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02155, United States
- Division of Material Science and Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02155, United States
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48
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Sun F, Liu L, Zheng CF, Li YC, Yan Y, Fu XX, Wang CK, Liu R, Xu B, Li ZL. Decoding the mechanical conductance switching behaviors of dipyridyl molecular junctions. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:12586-12597. [PMID: 37461829 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr00505d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Dipyridyl molecular junctions often show intriguing conductance switching behaviors with mechanical modulations, but the mechanisms are still not completely revealed. By applying the ab initio-based adiabatic simulation method, the configuration evolution and electron transport properties of dipyridyl molecular junctions in stretching and compressing processes are systematically investigated. The numerical results reveal that the dipyridyl molecular junctions tend to form specific contact configurations during formation processes. In small electrode gaps, the pyridyls almost vertically adsorb on the second Au layers of the tip electrodes by pushing the top Au atoms aside. These specific contact configurations result in stronger molecule-electrode couplings and larger electronic incident cross-sectional areas, which consequently lead to large breaking forces and high conductance. On further elongating the molecular junctions, the pyridyls shift to the top Au atoms of the tip electrodes. The additional scattering of the top Au atoms dramatically decreases the conductance and switches the molecular junctions to the lower conductive states. Perfect cyclical conductance switches are obtained as observed in the experiments by repeatedly stretching and compressing the molecular junctions. The O atom in the side-group tends to hinder the pyridyl from adsorbing on the second Au layer and further inhibits the conductance switch of the dipyridyl molecular junction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Sun
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China.
| | - Lin Liu
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China.
| | - Chang-Feng Zheng
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China.
| | - Yu-Chen Li
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China.
| | - Yan Yan
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China.
| | - Xiao-Xiao Fu
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China.
| | - Chuan-Kui Wang
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China.
| | - Ran Liu
- Single Molecule Study Laboratory, College of Engineering and Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA.
- Biodesign Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors, School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Bingqian Xu
- Single Molecule Study Laboratory, College of Engineering and Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA.
| | - Zong-Liang Li
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China.
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49
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Pattiya Arachchillage KGG, Chandra S, Williams A, Piscitelli P, Pham J, Castillo A, Florence L, Rangan S, Artes Vivancos JM. Electrical detection of RNA cancer biomarkers at the single-molecule level. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12428. [PMID: 37528139 PMCID: PMC10393997 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39450-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a significant healthcare issue, and early screening methods based on biomarker analysis in liquid biopsies are promising avenues to reduce mortality rates. Electrical detection of nucleic acids at the single molecule level could enable these applications. We examine the electrical detection of RNA cancer biomarkers (KRAS mutants G12C and G12V) as a single-molecule proof-of-concept electrical biosensor for cancer screening applications. We show that the electrical conductance is highly sensitive to the sequence, allowing discrimination of the mutants from a wild-type KRAS sequence differing in just one base. In addition to this high specificity, our results also show that these biosensors are sensitive down to an individual molecule with a high signal-to-noise ratio. These results pave the way for future miniaturized single-molecule electrical biosensors that could be groundbreaking for cancer screening and other applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Subrata Chandra
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Ajoke Williams
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Patrick Piscitelli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Jennifer Pham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Aderlyn Castillo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Lily Florence
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Srijith Rangan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
| | - Juan M Artes Vivancos
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA.
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50
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Wang X, Lamantia A, Jay M, Sadeghi H, Lambert CJ, Kolosov OV, Robinson BJ. Determination of electric and thermoelectric properties of molecular junctions by AFM in peak force tapping mode. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2023; 34:385704. [PMID: 37336192 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/acdf67] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Molecular thin films, such as self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), offer the possibility of translating the optimised thermophysical and electrical properties of high-Seebeck-coefficient single molecules to scalable device architectures. However, for many scanning probe-based approaches attempting to characterise such SAMs, there remains a significant challenge in recovering single-molecule equivalent values from large-area films due to the intrinsic uncertainty of the probe-sample contact area coupled with film damage caused by contact forces. Here we report a new reproducible non-destructive method for probing the electrical and thermoelectric (TE) properties of small assemblies (10-103) of thiol-terminated molecules arranged within a SAM on a gold surface, and demonstrate the successful and reproducible measurements of the equivalent single-molecule electrical conductivity and Seebeck values. We have used a modified thermal-electric force microscopy approach, which integrates the conductive-probe atomic force microscope, a sample positioned on a temperature-controlled heater, and a probe-sample peak-force feedback that interactively limits the normal force across the molecular junctions. The experimental results are interpreted by density functional theory calculations allowing quantification the electrical quantum transport properties of both single molecules and small clusters of molecules. Significantly, this approach effectively eliminates lateral forces between probe and sample, minimising disruption to the SAM while enabling simultaneous mapping of the SAMs nanomechanical properties, as well as electrical and/or TE response, thereby allowing correlation of the film properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xintai Wang
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, United Kingdom
- School of Information Science and Technology, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, 116026, People's Republic of China
| | - Angelo Lamantia
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Jay
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, United Kingdom
| | - Hatef Sadeghi
- School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Colin J Lambert
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, United Kingdom
| | - Oleg V Kolosov
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin J Robinson
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, United Kingdom
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