Dipole-Modulated Charge Transport through PNP-Type Single-Molecule Junctions

J Am Chem Soc. 2022 Nov 16;144(45):20797-20803. doi: 10.1021/jacs.2c08664. Epub 2022 Oct 23.

Abstract

The PNP structure realized by energy band engineering is widely used in various electronic and optoelectronic devices. In this work, we succeed in constructing a PNP-type single-molecule junction and explore the intrinsic characteristics of the PNP structure at the single-molecule level. A back-to-back azulene molecule is designed with opposite ∼1.7 D dipole moments to create PNP-type single-molecule junctions. In combination with theoretical and experimental studies, it is found that the intrinsic dipole can effectively adjust single-molecule charge transport and the corresponding potential barriers. This energy band control and charge transport regulation at the single-molecule level improve deep understanding of molecular charge transport mechanisms and provide important insights into the development of high-performance functional molecular nanocircuits toward practical applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Electronics*
  • Nanotechnology*