Switching of Charge Transport Pathways via Delocalization Changes in Single-Molecule Metallacycles Junctions

J Am Chem Soc. 2017 Oct 18;139(41):14344-14347. doi: 10.1021/jacs.7b06400. Epub 2017 Sep 12.

Abstract

To explore the charge transport through metalla-aromatics building blocks, three metallacycles complexes were synthesized, and their single-molecule conductances were characterized by using mechanically controllable break junction technique. It is found that the conductance of the metallacycles junction with phosphonium group is more than 1 order of magnitude higher than that without phosphonium group. X-ray diffraction and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy suggested that the attached phosphonium group makes metallacycles more delocalized, which shortened the preferred charge transport pathway and significantly enhanced the single-molecule conductance. This work revealed that the delocalization of metalla-aromatics could be used to switch the charge transport pathway of single-molecule junctions and thus tune the charge transport abilities significantly.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't