2016/11/08 by Y. Li, Li, Y., M. Baghernejad +21
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) #cond-mat.mes-hall
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1611.02725
arxiv created 2016/11/08 · arxiv updated 2016/11/10
We studied charge transport phenomena through a core substituted naphthalenediimide (NDI) single-molecule junctions using the electrochemical STM-based break junction technique in combination with DFT calculations. The conductance switch among three well-defined states is acquired by electrochemically controlling the redox state of the pendent diimide unit of the molecule in ionic liquid, and the conductance difference is more than one order of magnitude between di-anion states and neutral state. The potential dependent charge transport characteristics of the NDI molecules are confirmed by DFT calculations accounting for electrochemical double-layer effects on the conductance of the NDI junctions. This work suggests that the integration of redox unit in the pendent position with strong coupling to molecular backbone can significantly tune the charge transport of the single-molecule device by controlling different redox states.