IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-29483-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Tetrathiafulvalenes as anchors for building highly conductive and mechanically tunable molecular junctions

Author

Listed:
  • Qi Zhou

    (CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Kai Song

    (CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Guanxin Zhang

    (CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Xuwei Song

    (CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Junfeng Lin

    (CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yaping Zang

    (CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Deqing Zhang

    (CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Daoben Zhu

    (CAS Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

The interface between molecules and electrodes has great impact on charge transport of molecular devices. Precisely manipulating the structure and electronic coupling of electrode-molecule interface at a molecular level is very challenging. Here, we develop new molecular junctions based on tetrathiafulvalene (TTF)-fused naphthalene diimide (NDI) molecules which are anchored to gold electrodes through direct TTF-Au contacts formed via Au-S bonding. These contacts enable highly efficient orbital hybridization of gold electrodes and the conducting π-channels, yielding strong electrode-molecule coupling and remarkably high conductivity in the junctions. By further introducing additional thiohexyl (SHe) anchors to the TTF units, we develop molecular wires with multiple binding sites and demonstrate reversibly switchable electrode-molecule contacts and junction conductance through mechanical control. These findings show a superb electrode-molecule interface and provide a new strategy for precisely tunning the conductance of molecular devices towards new functions.

Suggested Citation

  • Qi Zhou & Kai Song & Guanxin Zhang & Xuwei Song & Junfeng Lin & Yaping Zang & Deqing Zhang & Daoben Zhu, 2022. "Tetrathiafulvalenes as anchors for building highly conductive and mechanically tunable molecular junctions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-29483-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29483-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-29483-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-29483-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Latha Venkataraman & Jennifer E. Klare & Colin Nuckolls & Mark S. Hybertsen & Michael L. Steigerwald, 2006. "Dependence of single-molecule junction conductance on molecular conformation," Nature, Nature, vol. 442(7105), pages 904-907, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Leopoldo Mejía & Pilar Cossio & Ignacio Franco, 2023. "Microscopic theory, analysis, and interpretation of conductance histograms in molecular junctions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Woojung Lee & Liang Li & María Camarasa-Gómez & Daniel Hernangómez-Pérez & Xavier Roy & Ferdinand Evers & Michael S. Inkpen & Latha Venkataraman, 2024. "Photooxidation driven formation of Fe-Au linked ferrocene-based single-molecule junctions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Jinshi Li & Pingchuan Shen & Zeyan Zhuang & Junqi Wu & Ben Zhong Tang & Zujin Zhao, 2023. "In-situ electro-responsive through-space coupling enabling foldamers as volatile memory elements," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Cong Zhao & Jiazheng Diao & Zhao Liu & Jie Hao & Suhang He & Shaojia Li & Xingxing Li & Guangwu Li & Qiang Fu & Chuancheng Jia & Xuefeng Guo, 2024. "Electrical monitoring of single-event protonation dynamics at the solid-liquid interface and its regulation by external mechanical forces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    5. Songsong Li & Edward R. Jira & Nicholas H. Angello & Jialing Li & Hao Yu & Jeffrey S. Moore & Ying Diao & Martin D. Burke & Charles M. Schroeder, 2022. "Using automated synthesis to understand the role of side chains on molecular charge transport," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    6. Chun Tang & Thijs Stuyver & Taige Lu & Junyang Liu & Yiling Ye & Tengyang Gao & Luchun Lin & Jueting Zheng & Wenqing Liu & Jia Shi & Sason Shaik & Haiping Xia & Wenjing Hong, 2023. "Voltage-driven control of single-molecule keto-enol equilibrium in a two-terminal junction system," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-29483-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.