Exploring the charge transport properties and electronic functions of molecules is of primary interest in the area of molecular electronics.Conjugated polymers（CPs） represent an attractive class of molecular candida...Exploring the charge transport properties and electronic functions of molecules is of primary interest in the area of molecular electronics.Conjugated polymers（CPs） represent an attractive class of molecular candidates,benefiting from their outstanding optoelectronic properties.However,they have been less studied compared with the small-molecule family,mainly due to the difficulties in incorporating CPs into molecular junctions.In this review,we present a summary on how to fabricate CP-based singlechain and monolayered junctions,then discuss the transport behaviors of CPs in different junction architectures and finally introduce the potential applications of CPs in molecular-scale electronic devices.Although the research on CP-based molecular electronics is still at the initial stage,it is widely accepted that（1） CP chains are able to mediate long-range charge transport if their molecular electronic structures are properly designed,which makes them potential molecular wires,and（2） the intrinsic optoelectronic properties of CPs and the possibility of incorporating desirable functionalities by synthetic strategies imply the potential of employing tailor-made polymeric components as alternatives to small molecules for future molecular-scale electronics.展开更多
Developments in advanced manufacturing have promoted the miniaturization of semiconductor electronic devices to a near-atomic scale,which continuously follows the‘top-down’construction method.However,huge challenges...Developments in advanced manufacturing have promoted the miniaturization of semiconductor electronic devices to a near-atomic scale,which continuously follows the‘top-down’construction method.However,huge challenges have been encountered with the exponentially increased cost and inevitably prominent quantum effects.Molecular electronics is a highly interdisciplinary subject that studies the quantum behavior of electrons tunneling in molecules.It aims to assemble electronic devices in a‘bottom-up’manner on this scale through a single molecule,thereby shedding light on the future design of logic circuits with new operating principles.The core technologies in this field are based on the rapid development of precise fabrication at a molecular scale,regulation at a quantum scale,and related applications of the basic electronic component of the‘electrode-molecule-electrode junction’.Therefore,the quantum charge transport properties of the molecule can be controlled to pave the way for the bottom-up construction of single-molecule devices.The review firstly focuses on the collection and classification of the construction methods for molecular junctions.Thereafter,various characterization and regulation methods for molecular junctions are discussed,followed by the properties based on tunneling theory at the quantum scale of the corresponding molecular electronic devices.Finally,a summary and perspective are given to discuss further challenges and opportunities for the future design of electronic devices.展开更多
Charge transport characterization of single-molecule junctions is essential for the fundamental research of single-molecule physical chemistry and the development towards single-molecule electronic devices and circuit...Charge transport characterization of single-molecule junctions is essential for the fundamental research of single-molecule physical chemistry and the development towards single-molecule electronic devices and circuits. Among the single-molecule conductance characterization techniques,the single-molecule break junction technique is widely used in tens of worldwide research laboratories which can generate a large amount of experimental data from thousands of individual measurement cycles. However,data interpretation is a challenging task for researchers with different research backgrounds,and the different data analysis approaches sometimes lead to the misunderstanding of the measurement data and even reproducibility issues of the measurement. It is thus a necessity to develop a user-friendly all-in-one data analysis tool that automatizes the basic data analysis in a standard and widely accepted way. In this work,we present the XMe Code (Xiamen Molecular Electronics Code),an intelligent all-in-one data analysis tool for the comprehensive analysis of single-molecule break junction data. XMe code provides end-to-end data analysis that takes in the original experimental data and returns electronic characteristics and even charge transport mechanisms. We believe that XMe Code will promote the transparency of the data analysis in single-molecule electronics and the collaborations among scientists with different research backgrounds.展开更多
By wiring molecules into circuits, ＂molecular electronics＂ aims at studying electronic properties of single molecules and their ensembles, on this basis exploiting their intrinsic functionalities, and eventually app...By wiring molecules into circuits, ＂molecular electronics＂ aims at studying electronic properties of single molecules and their ensembles, on this basis exploiting their intrinsic functionalities, and eventually applying them as building blocks of electronic components for future electronic devices. Herein, fabricating reliable solid-state molecular devices and developing synthetic molecules endowed with desirable electronic properties, have been two major tasks since the dawn of molecular electronics. This review focuses on recent advances and efforts regarding the main challenges in this field, highlighting fabrication of nanogap electrodes for single-molecule junctions, and self-assembled-monolayers （SAMs） for functional devices. The prospect of molecular-scale electronics is also discussed.展开更多
Recent years have witnessed the fabrication of various non-covalent interaction-based molecular electronic devices.In the noncovalent interaction-based molecular devices,the strength of the interfacial coupling betwee...Recent years have witnessed the fabrication of various non-covalent interaction-based molecular electronic devices.In the noncovalent interaction-based molecular devices,the strength of the interfacial coupling between molecule and electrode is weakened compared to that of the covalent interaction-based molecular devices,which provides wide applications in fabricating versatile molecular devices.In this review,we start with the methods capable of fabricating graphene-based nanogaps,and the following routes to construct non-covalent interaction-based molecular junctions with graphene electrodes.Then we give an introduction to the reported non-covalent interaction-based molecular devices with graphene electrodes equipped with different electrical functions.Moreover,we summarize the recent progress in the design and fabrication of new-type molecular devices based on graphene and graphene-like two-dimensional(2D)materials.The review ends with a prospect on the challenges and opportunities of non-covalent interaction-based molecular electronics in the near future.展开更多
Gaining insights into charge transport related to conformational changes and ion transport in valinomycin(VM)is crucial for understanding the underlying physiological processes and advancing ion carrier applications.O...Gaining insights into charge transport related to conformational changes and ion transport in valinomycin(VM)is crucial for understanding the underlying physiological processes and advancing ion carrier applications.Observing these processes in single molecules provides deeper insights and precision than those obtained through conventional ensemble measurements.Herein,we employed a single-molecule conductance measurement method based on the scanning tunneling microscopy break-junction(STM-BJ)to measure the charge transport of individual VM molecules in both non-polar and polar solvents,as well as when mediated by K^(+)ions.Single-molecule conductance measurements revealed that the bracelet and propeller-type conformations of VM in both non-polar and polar solvents significantly affect its conductance.In polar solvents,the propeller-type conformation of VM demonstrated a well-defined conductance signature,single-molecule rectification feature,and through-space transmission mechanism.Specifically,the introduction of K^(+)ions in polar solvents induced a conformational transition from the propeller-type to the bracelet-type form,facilitating K^(+)binding recognition.These observations were further supported by density functional theory combined with non-equilibrium Green’s function calculations.This study enhanced the fundamental understanding of the electronic transport mechanisms in VM and valinomycin-K^(+)molecular junctions,offering insights into VM ionophores and promoting supramolecular sensing applications.展开更多
Designing tunable molecular devices with different charge carriers in single-molecule junctions is crucial to the nextgeneration electronic technology.Recently,it has been demonstrated that the type of charge carriers...Designing tunable molecular devices with different charge carriers in single-molecule junctions is crucial to the nextgeneration electronic technology.Recently,it has been demonstrated that the type of charge carriers depends on and can be tuned by controlling the molecular length and the number of interfacial covalent bonds.In this study,we show that the type of charge carriers can also be tuned by controlling the material and shape of electrodes.N-heterocyclic carbenes(NHCs)have attracted attention because of their ability to form strong,substitutional inert bonds in a variety of metals.Also,NHCs are more stable than the widely used thiol group.Therefore,we use electrodes to tune the type of charge carriers in a series of NHCs with different side groups.The ab initio calculations based on non-equilibrium Green’s formalism combined with density functional theory show that the dominant charge carrier switches from electrons to holes when gold electrodes are changed into platinum ones.The nature of the charge carriers can be identified by variations in the transport spectra at the Fermi level(EF),which are caused by the side groups.The projections of transport spectra onto the central molecules further validate our inferences.In addition,the transmission coefficient at EF is found to be dependent on the atomic interface structure.In particular,for the NHC without methyl or ethyl side groups,connecting a protruding atom on the electrode surface significantly enhances the transportability of both electrode materials.Overall,this study presents an effective approach to modifying transport properties,which has potential applications in designing functional molecular devices based on NHCs.展开更多
The effect of terminal groups on the electron transport through metal-molecule-metal system has been investigated using nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism combined with extended Huckel theory (EHT). ...The effect of terminal groups on the electron transport through metal-molecule-metal system has been investigated using nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism combined with extended Huckel theory (EHT). Au-molecule-Au junctions are constructed with borazine and BCN unit structure as core molecule and sulphur (S), oxygen (O), selenium (Se) and cyano-group (CN) as terminal groups. The electron transport characteristics of the borazine and BCN molecular systems are analyzed through the transmission spectra and the current-voltage curve. The results demonstrate that the terminal groups modifying the transport behaviors of these systems in a controlled way. Our result shows that, selenium is the best linker to couple borazine to Au electrode and oxygen is the best one to couple BCN to Au electrode. Furthermore, the results of borazine systems are compared with that of BCN molecular systems and are discussed. Simulation results show that the conductance through BCN molecular systems is four times larger than the borazine molecular systems. Negative differential resistance behavior is observed with borazine-CN system and the saturation feature appears in BCN systems.展开更多
The understanding of the influence of electrode characteristics on charge transport is essential in the field of molecular electronics.In this work,we investigate the electronic transport properties of molecular junct...The understanding of the influence of electrode characteristics on charge transport is essential in the field of molecular electronics.In this work,we investigate the electronic transport properties of molecular junctions comprising methylthiolterminated permethyloligosilanes and face-centered crystal Au/Ag electrodes with crystallographic orientations of(111)and(100),based on the ab initio quantum transport simulations.The calculations reveal that the molecular junction conductance is dominated by the electronic coupling between two interfacial metal–S bonding states,which can be tuned by varying the molecular length,metal material of the electrodes,and crystallographic orientation.As the permethyloligosilane backbone elongates,although theσconjugation increases,the decreasing of coupling induced by the increasing number of central Si atoms reduces the junction conductance.The molecular junction conductance of methylthiol-terminated permethyloligosilanes with Au electrodes is higher than that with Ag electrodes with a crystallographic orientation of(111).However,the conductance trend is reversed when the electrode crystallographic orientation varies from(111)to(100),which can be ascribed to the reversal of interfacial coupling between two metal–S interfacial states.These findings are conducive to elucidating the mechanism of molecular junctions and improving the transport properties of molecular devices by adjusting the electrode characteristics.展开更多
Using diamine as anchoring group, the self-assembled monolayers（SAMs） based on oligo（phenyleneethynylene）s（OPEs） and cruciform OPEs with an extended tetrathiafulvalene（TTF）（OPE3 and OPE3-TTF）were successfull...Using diamine as anchoring group, the self-assembled monolayers（SAMs） based on oligo（phenyleneethynylene）s（OPEs） and cruciform OPEs with an extended tetrathiafulvalene（TTF）（OPE3 and OPE3-TTF）were successfully formed on the Au substrate. The Uniformity and stability of SAMs were confirmed through cyclic voltammetry（CV） and electrochemical reductive desorption. The investigation of transport properties of SAMs was achieved by conducting-probe atomic force microscopy（CP-AFM） with both Au and Pt tips. The results indicated that the conductance of OPE3-TTF was 17 and 46 times that of OPE3 for Au and Pt tips, respectively. Theoretical calculations are qualitatively consistent with the experimental results, suggesting that the diamine as anchoring group has a great potential in molecular electronics.展开更多
The transport properties of a conjugated dipyrimidinyl-diphenyl diblock oligomer sandwiched between two gold electrodes, as recently reported by [Diez-Perez et al. Nature Chem. 1 635 （2009）], are theoretically inves...The transport properties of a conjugated dipyrimidinyl-diphenyl diblock oligomer sandwiched between two gold electrodes, as recently reported by [Diez-Perez et al. Nature Chem. 1 635 （2009）], are theoretically investigated using the fully self-consistent nonequilibrium Green＇s function method combined with density functional theory. Two kinds of symmetrical anchoring geometries are considered. Calculated current-voltage curves show that the contact structure has a strong effect on the rectification behaviour of the molecular diode. For the equilateral triangle configuration, pronounced rectification behaviour comparable to the experimental measurement is revealed, and the theoretical analysis indicates that the observed rectification characteristic results from the asymmetric shift of the perturbed molecular energy levels under bias voltage. While for the tetrahedron configuration, both rectification and negative differential conductivity behaviours are observed. The calculated results further prove the close dependence of the transporting characteristics of molecular junctions on contact configuration.展开更多
The microscopic moleeular theory for electron transfer in a model solvent ishahr developed. The nonlinear response of the solvent molecules is be computedquanitatively in a new way. Adopting computer simulation daa an...The microscopic moleeular theory for electron transfer in a model solvent ishahr developed. The nonlinear response of the solvent molecules is be computedquanitatively in a new way. Adopting computer simulation daa and choosingappropriate reaction coordinae, a reasonable free energy dinram is constructed and thercorganhaion energy for the product state is calculated.展开更多
The localized molecular orbitals for typical bowl-shaped circulenes are obtained by the use of INDO-LMO method. It is found that these bowl-shaped circulenes with strained π-electron systems are still aromatic and th...The localized molecular orbitals for typical bowl-shaped circulenes are obtained by the use of INDO-LMO method. It is found that these bowl-shaped circulenes with strained π-electron systems are still aromatic and the rim π-bonds with larger localization form reactive regions for formation of buckminsterfullerene.展开更多
The evolution of electronic states in molecule has two origins: dynamical one produced by Schr¨odinger equation and kinematical one caused by base transformation due to nuclear motion.In current theories,the form...The evolution of electronic states in molecule has two origins: dynamical one produced by Schr¨odinger equation and kinematical one caused by base transformation due to nuclear motion.In current theories,the former gets analytic expression; the latter depends on heavy numerical calculation,which contains uncertainty.By using connection of fiber bundles,this paper establishes an analytic formula for the latter,and the numerical work is simplified.It shows the mathematical structure of molecule is fiber bundle.展开更多
By means of oxide molecular beam epitaxy with shutter-growth mode, we fabricate a series of electron-doped （Sr1-xLax）2IrO4 （001） （x=0, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15） single crystalline thin films and then investigate the d...By means of oxide molecular beam epitaxy with shutter-growth mode, we fabricate a series of electron-doped （Sr1-xLax）2IrO4 （001） （x=0, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15） single crystalline thin films and then investigate the doping dependence of the electronic structure utilizing in-situ angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. It is found that with the increasing doping content, the Fermi levels of samples progressively shift upward. Prominently, an extra electron pocket crossing the Fermi level around the M point is evidently observed in the 15% nominal doping sample. Moreover, bulk-sensitive transport measurements confirm that the doping effectively suppresses the insulating state with respect to the as-grown Sr2IrO4, though the doped samples still remain insulating at low temperatures due to the localization effect possibly stemming from disorders including oxygen deficiencies. Our work provides another feasible doping method to tune electronic structure of Sr2 IrO4.展开更多
Based on the nonequilibrium Green function method and density functional theory calculations, we theoretically investigate the effect of chirality on the electronic transport properties of thioxanthene-based molecular...Based on the nonequilibrium Green function method and density functional theory calculations, we theoretically investigate the effect of chirality on the electronic transport properties of thioxanthene-based molecular switch. The molecule comprises the switch which can exhibit different chiralities, that is, cis-form and trans-form by ultraviolet or visible irradiation. The results clearly reveal that the switching behaviors can be realized when the molecule converts between cis-form and trans-form. ~urthermore, the on-off ratio can be modulated by the chirality of the carbon nanotube electrodes. The maximum on-off ratio can reach 109 at 0.4 V for the armchair junction, suggesting potential applications of this type of junctions in future design of functional molecular devices.展开更多
The inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy（IETS） of four edge-modified finite-size grapheme nanoribbon（GNR）-based molecular devices has been studied by using the density functional theory and Green＇s function ...The inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy（IETS） of four edge-modified finite-size grapheme nanoribbon（GNR）-based molecular devices has been studied by using the density functional theory and Green＇s function method. The effects of atomic structures and connection types on inelastic transport properties of the junctions have been studied. The IETS is sensitive to the electrode connection types and modification types. Comparing with the pure hydrogen edge passivation systems, we conclude that the IETS for the lower energy region increases obviously when using donor–acceptor functional groups as the edge modification types of the central scattering area. When using donor–acceptor as the electrode connection groups, the intensity of IETS increases several orders of magnitude than that of the pure ones. The effects of temperature on the inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy also have been discussed. The IETS curves show significant fine structures at lower temperatures. With the increasing of temperature, peak broadening covers many fine structures of the IETS curves.The changes of IETS in the low-frequency region are caused by the introduction of the donor–acceptor groups and the population distribution of thermal particles. The effect of Fermi distribution on the tunneling current is persistent.展开更多
We focus on two new 21） materials, i.e., monolayer and bilayer silicon phosphides （Sil P1）. Based on the elastic- scattering Green＇s function, the electronic-transport properties of two-dimensional monolayer and b...We focus on two new 21） materials, i.e., monolayer and bilayer silicon phosphides （Sil P1）. Based on the elastic- scattering Green＇s function, the electronic-transport properties of two-dimensional monolayer and bilayer Au- Si1P1-Au molecular junctions are studied. It is found that their bandgaps are narrow （0.16eV for a monolayer molecular junction and 0.26 e V for a bilayer molecular junction）. Moreover, the calculated current-voltage char- acteristics indicate that the monolayer molecular junction provides constant output current （20 hA） over a wide voltage range, and the bilayer molecular junction provides higher current （42 hA）.展开更多
The modulation of electrical properties of MoS_2 has attracted extensive research interest because of its potential applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices.Herein,interfacial charge transfer induced elec...The modulation of electrical properties of MoS_2 has attracted extensive research interest because of its potential applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices.Herein,interfacial charge transfer induced electronic property tuning of MoS_2 are investigated by in situ ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements.A downward band-bending of MoS_2-related electronic states along with the decreasing work function,which are induced by the electron transfer from Cs overlayers to MoS_2,is observed after the functionalization of MoS_2 with Cs,leading to n-type doping.Meanwhile,when MoS_2 is modified with 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane(F_4-TCNQ),an upward band-bending of MoS_2-related electronic states along with the increasing work function is observed at the interfaces.This is attributed to the electron depletion within MoS_2 due to the strong electron withdrawing property of F_4-TCNQ,indicating p-type doping of MoS_2.Our findings reveal that surface transfer doping is an effective approach for electronic property tuning of MoS_2 and paves the way to optimize its performance in electronic and optoelectronic devices.展开更多
We adopt the nonequilibrium Green＇s function method to theoretically study the Kondo effect in a deformed molecule, which is treated as an electron-phonon interaction （EPI） system. The self-energy for phonon part i...We adopt the nonequilibrium Green＇s function method to theoretically study the Kondo effect in a deformed molecule, which is treated as an electron-phonon interaction （EPI） system. The self-energy for phonon part is calculated in the standard many-body diagrammatic expansion up to the second order in EPI strength. We find that the multiple phonon-assisted Kondo satellites arise besides the usual Kondo resonance. In the antiparallel magnetic configuration the splitting of main Kondo peak and phonon-assisted satellites only happen for asymmetrical dot-lead couplings, but it is free from the symmetry for the parallel magnetic configuration. The EPI strength and vibrational frequency can enhance the spin splitting of both main Kondo and satellites. It is shown that the suppressed zero-bias Kondo resonance can be restored by applying an external magnetic field, whose magnitude is dependent on the phononic effect remarkably. Although the asymmetry in tunnel coupling has no contribution to the restoration of spin splitting of Kondo peak, it can shrink the external field needed to switch tunneling magnetoresistance ratio between large negative dip and large positive peak.展开更多
基金the financial support from 985/211 Project(No.WF220411002)Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the national "1000-talent Plan(Youth)"
文摘Exploring the charge transport properties and electronic functions of molecules is of primary interest in the area of molecular electronics.Conjugated polymers（CPs） represent an attractive class of molecular candidates,benefiting from their outstanding optoelectronic properties.However,they have been less studied compared with the small-molecule family,mainly due to the difficulties in incorporating CPs into molecular junctions.In this review,we present a summary on how to fabricate CP-based singlechain and monolayered junctions,then discuss the transport behaviors of CPs in different junction architectures and finally introduce the potential applications of CPs in molecular-scale electronic devices.Although the research on CP-based molecular electronics is still at the initial stage,it is widely accepted that（1） CP chains are able to mediate long-range charge transport if their molecular electronic structures are properly designed,which makes them potential molecular wires,and（2） the intrinsic optoelectronic properties of CPs and the possibility of incorporating desirable functionalities by synthetic strategies imply the potential of employing tailor-made polymeric components as alternatives to small molecules for future molecular-scale electronics.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.22173075,21933012,31871877)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2017YFA0204902)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Nos.20720200068,20720190002).
文摘Developments in advanced manufacturing have promoted the miniaturization of semiconductor electronic devices to a near-atomic scale,which continuously follows the‘top-down’construction method.However,huge challenges have been encountered with the exponentially increased cost and inevitably prominent quantum effects.Molecular electronics is a highly interdisciplinary subject that studies the quantum behavior of electrons tunneling in molecules.It aims to assemble electronic devices in a‘bottom-up’manner on this scale through a single molecule,thereby shedding light on the future design of logic circuits with new operating principles.The core technologies in this field are based on the rapid development of precise fabrication at a molecular scale,regulation at a quantum scale,and related applications of the basic electronic component of the‘electrode-molecule-electrode junction’.Therefore,the quantum charge transport properties of the molecule can be controlled to pave the way for the bottom-up construction of single-molecule devices.The review firstly focuses on the collection and classification of the construction methods for molecular junctions.Thereafter,various characterization and regulation methods for molecular junctions are discussed,followed by the properties based on tunneling theory at the quantum scale of the corresponding molecular electronic devices.Finally,a summary and perspective are given to discuss further challenges and opportunities for the future design of electronic devices.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22325303,21973079,22032004)the National Key R&D Program of China(2017YFA0204902)+2 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities in China(Xiamen University,20720190002)IRTSTFJ,National Science Foundation of Fujian Province(2018J06004)Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences(BNLMS202005).
文摘Charge transport characterization of single-molecule junctions is essential for the fundamental research of single-molecule physical chemistry and the development towards single-molecule electronic devices and circuits. Among the single-molecule conductance characterization techniques,the single-molecule break junction technique is widely used in tens of worldwide research laboratories which can generate a large amount of experimental data from thousands of individual measurement cycles. However,data interpretation is a challenging task for researchers with different research backgrounds,and the different data analysis approaches sometimes lead to the misunderstanding of the measurement data and even reproducibility issues of the measurement. It is thus a necessity to develop a user-friendly all-in-one data analysis tool that automatizes the basic data analysis in a standard and widely accepted way. In this work,we present the XMe Code (Xiamen Molecular Electronics Code),an intelligent all-in-one data analysis tool for the comprehensive analysis of single-molecule break junction data. XMe code provides end-to-end data analysis that takes in the original experimental data and returns electronic characteristics and even charge transport mechanisms. We believe that XMe Code will promote the transparency of the data analysis in single-molecule electronics and the collaborations among scientists with different research backgrounds.
基金support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51673114)Shanghai Science and Technology Committee (No. 17ZR1447300)Basic Research Development Programme (No. 2017YFA0207500)
文摘By wiring molecules into circuits, ＂molecular electronics＂ aims at studying electronic properties of single molecules and their ensembles, on this basis exploiting their intrinsic functionalities, and eventually applying them as building blocks of electronic components for future electronic devices. Herein, fabricating reliable solid-state molecular devices and developing synthetic molecules endowed with desirable electronic properties, have been two major tasks since the dawn of molecular electronics. This review focuses on recent advances and efforts regarding the main challenges in this field, highlighting fabrication of nanogap electrodes for single-molecule junctions, and self-assembled-monolayers （SAMs） for functional devices. The prospect of molecular-scale electronics is also discussed.
基金the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.21973079 and 22032004)the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2017YFA0204902)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Xiamen University:No.20720190002).
文摘Recent years have witnessed the fabrication of various non-covalent interaction-based molecular electronic devices.In the noncovalent interaction-based molecular devices,the strength of the interfacial coupling between molecule and electrode is weakened compared to that of the covalent interaction-based molecular devices,which provides wide applications in fabricating versatile molecular devices.In this review,we start with the methods capable of fabricating graphene-based nanogaps,and the following routes to construct non-covalent interaction-based molecular junctions with graphene electrodes.Then we give an introduction to the reported non-covalent interaction-based molecular devices with graphene electrodes equipped with different electrical functions.Moreover,we summarize the recent progress in the design and fabrication of new-type molecular devices based on graphene and graphene-like two-dimensional(2D)materials.The review ends with a prospect on the challenges and opportunities of non-covalent interaction-based molecular electronics in the near future.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Nos.2022YFB3204402,2020YFA0714703 and 2022YFC2205003)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.22204135)+2 种基金Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(No.2023JJ40619)the Education Department of Hunan Province(No.23A0114)the Science and Technology Innovation Program of Hunan Province(No.2022RC3027)。
文摘Gaining insights into charge transport related to conformational changes and ion transport in valinomycin(VM)is crucial for understanding the underlying physiological processes and advancing ion carrier applications.Observing these processes in single molecules provides deeper insights and precision than those obtained through conventional ensemble measurements.Herein,we employed a single-molecule conductance measurement method based on the scanning tunneling microscopy break-junction(STM-BJ)to measure the charge transport of individual VM molecules in both non-polar and polar solvents,as well as when mediated by K^(+)ions.Single-molecule conductance measurements revealed that the bracelet and propeller-type conformations of VM in both non-polar and polar solvents significantly affect its conductance.In polar solvents,the propeller-type conformation of VM demonstrated a well-defined conductance signature,single-molecule rectification feature,and through-space transmission mechanism.Specifically,the introduction of K^(+)ions in polar solvents induced a conformational transition from the propeller-type to the bracelet-type form,facilitating K^(+)binding recognition.These observations were further supported by density functional theory combined with non-equilibrium Green’s function calculations.This study enhanced the fundamental understanding of the electronic transport mechanisms in VM and valinomycin-K^(+)molecular junctions,offering insights into VM ionophores and promoting supramolecular sensing applications.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grants Nos.11874242 and 21933002)the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation,China(Grant No.ZR2019PA022).
文摘Designing tunable molecular devices with different charge carriers in single-molecule junctions is crucial to the nextgeneration electronic technology.Recently,it has been demonstrated that the type of charge carriers depends on and can be tuned by controlling the molecular length and the number of interfacial covalent bonds.In this study,we show that the type of charge carriers can also be tuned by controlling the material and shape of electrodes.N-heterocyclic carbenes(NHCs)have attracted attention because of their ability to form strong,substitutional inert bonds in a variety of metals.Also,NHCs are more stable than the widely used thiol group.Therefore,we use electrodes to tune the type of charge carriers in a series of NHCs with different side groups.The ab initio calculations based on non-equilibrium Green’s formalism combined with density functional theory show that the dominant charge carrier switches from electrons to holes when gold electrodes are changed into platinum ones.The nature of the charge carriers can be identified by variations in the transport spectra at the Fermi level(EF),which are caused by the side groups.The projections of transport spectra onto the central molecules further validate our inferences.In addition,the transmission coefficient at EF is found to be dependent on the atomic interface structure.In particular,for the NHC without methyl or ethyl side groups,connecting a protruding atom on the electrode surface significantly enhances the transportability of both electrode materials.Overall,this study presents an effective approach to modifying transport properties,which has potential applications in designing functional molecular devices based on NHCs.
基金Supported by DST-FIST Project.financial support from DST-FIST, Government of India
文摘The effect of terminal groups on the electron transport through metal-molecule-metal system has been investigated using nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism combined with extended Huckel theory (EHT). Au-molecule-Au junctions are constructed with borazine and BCN unit structure as core molecule and sulphur (S), oxygen (O), selenium (Se) and cyano-group (CN) as terminal groups. The electron transport characteristics of the borazine and BCN molecular systems are analyzed through the transmission spectra and the current-voltage curve. The results demonstrate that the terminal groups modifying the transport behaviors of these systems in a controlled way. Our result shows that, selenium is the best linker to couple borazine to Au electrode and oxygen is the best one to couple BCN to Au electrode. Furthermore, the results of borazine systems are compared with that of BCN molecular systems and are discussed. Simulation results show that the conductance through BCN molecular systems is four times larger than the borazine molecular systems. Negative differential resistance behavior is observed with borazine-CN system and the saturation feature appears in BCN systems.
基金the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation,China(Grant No.ZR2019PA022)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.21933002)。
文摘The understanding of the influence of electrode characteristics on charge transport is essential in the field of molecular electronics.In this work,we investigate the electronic transport properties of molecular junctions comprising methylthiolterminated permethyloligosilanes and face-centered crystal Au/Ag electrodes with crystallographic orientations of(111)and(100),based on the ab initio quantum transport simulations.The calculations reveal that the molecular junction conductance is dominated by the electronic coupling between two interfacial metal–S bonding states,which can be tuned by varying the molecular length,metal material of the electrodes,and crystallographic orientation.As the permethyloligosilane backbone elongates,although theσconjugation increases,the decreasing of coupling induced by the increasing number of central Si atoms reduces the junction conductance.The molecular junction conductance of methylthiol-terminated permethyloligosilanes with Au electrodes is higher than that with Ag electrodes with a crystallographic orientation of(111).However,the conductance trend is reversed when the electrode crystallographic orientation varies from(111)to(100),which can be ascribed to the reversal of interfacial coupling between two metal–S interfacial states.These findings are conducive to elucidating the mechanism of molecular junctions and improving the transport properties of molecular devices by adjusting the electrode characteristics.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61571415, 61622406, 51502283)the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Nos. 2017YFA0207500, 2016YFB0700700)the "Hundred Talents Program" of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
文摘Using diamine as anchoring group, the self-assembled monolayers（SAMs） based on oligo（phenyleneethynylene）s（OPEs） and cruciform OPEs with an extended tetrathiafulvalene（TTF）（OPE3 and OPE3-TTF）were successfully formed on the Au substrate. The Uniformity and stability of SAMs were confirmed through cyclic voltammetry（CV） and electrochemical reductive desorption. The investigation of transport properties of SAMs was achieved by conducting-probe atomic force microscopy（CP-AFM） with both Au and Pt tips. The results indicated that the conductance of OPE3-TTF was 17 and 46 times that of OPE3 for Au and Pt tips, respectively. Theoretical calculations are qualitatively consistent with the experimental results, suggesting that the diamine as anchoring group has a great potential in molecular electronics.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10804064,10904084,and 10974121)the Middle-Aged and Young Scientists Research Awards Foundation of Shandong Province of China (Grant No. 2009BS01009)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province of China (Grant No. ZR2010AZ002)
文摘The transport properties of a conjugated dipyrimidinyl-diphenyl diblock oligomer sandwiched between two gold electrodes, as recently reported by [Diez-Perez et al. Nature Chem. 1 635 （2009）], are theoretically investigated using the fully self-consistent nonequilibrium Green＇s function method combined with density functional theory. Two kinds of symmetrical anchoring geometries are considered. Calculated current-voltage curves show that the contact structure has a strong effect on the rectification behaviour of the molecular diode. For the equilateral triangle configuration, pronounced rectification behaviour comparable to the experimental measurement is revealed, and the theoretical analysis indicates that the observed rectification characteristic results from the asymmetric shift of the perturbed molecular energy levels under bias voltage. While for the tetrahedron configuration, both rectification and negative differential conductivity behaviours are observed. The calculated results further prove the close dependence of the transporting characteristics of molecular junctions on contact configuration.
文摘The microscopic moleeular theory for electron transfer in a model solvent ishahr developed. The nonlinear response of the solvent molecules is be computedquanitatively in a new way. Adopting computer simulation daa and choosingappropriate reaction coordinae, a reasonable free energy dinram is constructed and thercorganhaion energy for the product state is calculated.
文摘The localized molecular orbitals for typical bowl-shaped circulenes are obtained by the use of INDO-LMO method. It is found that these bowl-shaped circulenes with strained π-electron systems are still aromatic and the rim π-bonds with larger localization form reactive regions for formation of buckminsterfullerene.
文摘The evolution of electronic states in molecule has two origins: dynamical one produced by Schr¨odinger equation and kinematical one caused by base transformation due to nuclear motion.In current theories,the former gets analytic expression; the latter depends on heavy numerical calculation,which contains uncertainty.By using connection of fiber bundles,this paper establishes an analytic formula for the latter,and the numerical work is simplified.It shows the mathematical structure of molecule is fiber bundle.
基金Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program)under Grant Nos 2011CBA00106 and2012CB927400the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 11274332 and 11227902Helmholtz Association through the Virtual Institute for Topological Insulators(VITI).M.Y.Li and D.W.Shen are also supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program(B)of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under Grant No XDB04040300
文摘By means of oxide molecular beam epitaxy with shutter-growth mode, we fabricate a series of electron-doped （Sr1-xLax）2IrO4 （001） （x=0, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15） single crystalline thin films and then investigate the doping dependence of the electronic structure utilizing in-situ angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. It is found that with the increasing doping content, the Fermi levels of samples progressively shift upward. Prominently, an extra electron pocket crossing the Fermi level around the M point is evidently observed in the 15% nominal doping sample. Moreover, bulk-sensitive transport measurements confirm that the doping effectively suppresses the insulating state with respect to the as-grown Sr2IrO4, though the doped samples still remain insulating at low temperatures due to the localization effect possibly stemming from disorders including oxygen deficiencies. Our work provides another feasible doping method to tune electronic structure of Sr2 IrO4.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 11004156the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province under Grant No 2014JM1025+2 种基金the Science and Technology Star Project of Shaanxi Province under Grant No2016KJXX-38the Special Foundation of Key Academic Subjects Development of Shaanxi Province under Grant No 2008-169the Xi'an Polytechnic University Young Scholar Supporting Plan under Grant No 2013-06
文摘Based on the nonequilibrium Green function method and density functional theory calculations, we theoretically investigate the effect of chirality on the electronic transport properties of thioxanthene-based molecular switch. The molecule comprises the switch which can exhibit different chiralities, that is, cis-form and trans-form by ultraviolet or visible irradiation. The results clearly reveal that the switching behaviors can be realized when the molecule converts between cis-form and trans-form. ~urthermore, the on-off ratio can be modulated by the chirality of the carbon nanotube electrodes. The maximum on-off ratio can reach 109 at 0.4 V for the armchair junction, suggesting potential applications of this type of junctions in future design of functional molecular devices.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11304001,51272001,51472003,and 11174002)the National Key Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2013CB632705)+4 种基金the Ph.D.Programs Foundation for the Youth Scholars of Ministry of Education of China(Grant No.20133401120002)the Foundation of State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials of Donghua University(Grant No.LK1217)the Foundation of Co-operative Innovation Research Center for Weak Signal-Detecting Materials and Devices Integration of Anhui University(Grant No.01001795-201410)the Key Project of the Foundation of Anhui Educational Committee,China(Grant No.KJ2013A035)the Ph.D.Programs Foundation of Anhui University,China(Grant No.33190134)
文摘The inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy（IETS） of four edge-modified finite-size grapheme nanoribbon（GNR）-based molecular devices has been studied by using the density functional theory and Green＇s function method. The effects of atomic structures and connection types on inelastic transport properties of the junctions have been studied. The IETS is sensitive to the electrode connection types and modification types. Comparing with the pure hydrogen edge passivation systems, we conclude that the IETS for the lower energy region increases obviously when using donor–acceptor functional groups as the edge modification types of the central scattering area. When using donor–acceptor as the electrode connection groups, the intensity of IETS increases several orders of magnitude than that of the pure ones. The effects of temperature on the inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy also have been discussed. The IETS curves show significant fine structures at lower temperatures. With the increasing of temperature, peak broadening covers many fine structures of the IETS curves.The changes of IETS in the low-frequency region are caused by the introduction of the donor–acceptor groups and the population distribution of thermal particles. The effect of Fermi distribution on the tunneling current is persistent.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 11374033
文摘We focus on two new 21） materials, i.e., monolayer and bilayer silicon phosphides （Sil P1）. Based on the elastic- scattering Green＇s function, the electronic-transport properties of two-dimensional monolayer and bilayer Au- Si1P1-Au molecular junctions are studied. It is found that their bandgaps are narrow （0.16eV for a monolayer molecular junction and 0.26 e V for a bilayer molecular junction）. Moreover, the calculated current-voltage char- acteristics indicate that the monolayer molecular junction provides constant output current （20 hA） over a wide voltage range, and the bilayer molecular junction provides higher current （42 hA）.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.22002031)the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (Grant No.LY18F010019)the Innovation Project in Hangzhou for Returned Scholar。
文摘The modulation of electrical properties of MoS_2 has attracted extensive research interest because of its potential applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices.Herein,interfacial charge transfer induced electronic property tuning of MoS_2 are investigated by in situ ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements.A downward band-bending of MoS_2-related electronic states along with the decreasing work function,which are induced by the electron transfer from Cs overlayers to MoS_2,is observed after the functionalization of MoS_2 with Cs,leading to n-type doping.Meanwhile,when MoS_2 is modified with 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane(F_4-TCNQ),an upward band-bending of MoS_2-related electronic states along with the increasing work function is observed at the interfaces.This is attributed to the electron depletion within MoS_2 due to the strong electron withdrawing property of F_4-TCNQ,indicating p-type doping of MoS_2.Our findings reveal that surface transfer doping is an effective approach for electronic property tuning of MoS_2 and paves the way to optimize its performance in electronic and optoelectronic devices.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 10974058the Guangdong Natural Science Foundation under Grant No. 9451063101002088+1 种基金the Shanghai Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 09ZR1421400Science and Technology Program of Shanghai Maritime University under Contract No. 2008475
文摘We adopt the nonequilibrium Green＇s function method to theoretically study the Kondo effect in a deformed molecule, which is treated as an electron-phonon interaction （EPI） system. The self-energy for phonon part is calculated in the standard many-body diagrammatic expansion up to the second order in EPI strength. We find that the multiple phonon-assisted Kondo satellites arise besides the usual Kondo resonance. In the antiparallel magnetic configuration the splitting of main Kondo peak and phonon-assisted satellites only happen for asymmetrical dot-lead couplings, but it is free from the symmetry for the parallel magnetic configuration. The EPI strength and vibrational frequency can enhance the spin splitting of both main Kondo and satellites. It is shown that the suppressed zero-bias Kondo resonance can be restored by applying an external magnetic field, whose magnitude is dependent on the phononic effect remarkably. Although the asymmetry in tunnel coupling has no contribution to the restoration of spin splitting of Kondo peak, it can shrink the external field needed to switch tunneling magnetoresistance ratio between large negative dip and large positive peak.
