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Electrochemical control of single-molecule conductance by Fermi-level tuning and conjugation switching

Baghernejad, M.; Zhao, X.; Ørnsø, K.B.; Füeg, M.; Moreno-García, P.; Rudnev, A.V.; Kaliginedi, V.; Vesztergom, S.; Huang, C.; Hong, W.; Broekmann, P.; Wandlowski, T.; Thygesen, K.S.; Bryce, M.R.

Electrochemical control of single-molecule conductance by Fermi-level tuning and conjugation switching Thumbnail


Authors

M. Baghernejad

X. Zhao

K.B. Ørnsø

M. Füeg

P. Moreno-García

A.V. Rudnev

V. Kaliginedi

S. Vesztergom

C. Huang

W. Hong

P. Broekmann

T. Wandlowski

K.S. Thygesen



Abstract

Controlling charge transport through a single molecule connected to metallic electrodes remains one of the most fundamental challenges of nanoelectronics. Here we use electrochemical gating to reversibly tune the conductance of two different organic molecules, both containing anthraquinone (AQ) centers, over >1 order of magnitude. For electrode potentials outside the redox-active region, the effect of the gate is simply to shift the molecular energy levels relative to the metal Fermi level. At the redox potential, the conductance changes abruptly as the AQ unit is oxidized/reduced with an accompanying change in the conjugation pattern between linear and cross conjugation. The most significant change in conductance is observed when the electron pathway connecting the two electrodes is via the AQ unit. This is consistent with the expected occurrence of destructive quantum interference in that case. The experimental results are supported by an excellent agreement with ab initio transport calculations.

Citation

Baghernejad, M., Zhao, X., Ørnsø, K., Füeg, M., Moreno-García, P., Rudnev, A., …Bryce, M. (2014). Electrochemical control of single-molecule conductance by Fermi-level tuning and conjugation switching. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 136(52), 17922-17925. https://doi.org/10.1021/ja510335z

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Oct 8, 2014
Online Publication Date Dec 15, 2014
Publication Date Dec 15, 2014
Deposit Date Mar 6, 2015
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Journal of the American Chemical Society
Print ISSN 0002-7863
Electronic ISSN 1520-5126
Publisher American Chemical Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 136
Issue 52
Pages 17922-17925
DOI https://doi.org/10.1021/ja510335z

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Copyright Statement
This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Journal of the American Chemical Society, copyright © 2014 American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ja510335z.





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