Mechanical Manipulation of Quantum Interference in Single-Molecule Junctions.



Sil, Amit ORCID: 0000-0002-1946-7642, Alsaqer, Munirah, Spano, Chiara E, Larbi, Adam, Higgins, Simon J ORCID: 0000-0003-3518-9061, Robertson, Craig M ORCID: 0000-0002-4789-7607, Graziano, Mariagrazia, Sangtarash, Sara, Nichols, Richard J, Sadeghi, Hatef
et al (show 1 more authors) (2024) Mechanical Manipulation of Quantum Interference in Single-Molecule Junctions. Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany). e2308865-.

Access the full-text of this item by clicking on the Open Access link.

Abstract

Mechanosensitive molecular junctions, where conductance is sensitive to an applied stress such as force or displacement, are a class of nanoelectromechanical systems unique for their ability to exploit quantum mechanical phenomena. Most studies so far relied on reconfiguration of the molecule-electrode interface to impart mechanosensitivity, but this approach is limited and, generally, poorly reproducible. Alternatively, devices that exploit conformational flexibility of molecular wires have been recently proposed. The mechanosensitive properties of molecular wires containing the 1,1'-dinaphthyl moiety are presented here. Rotation along the chemical bond between the two naphthyl units is possible, giving rise to two conformers (transoid and cisoid) that have distinctive transport properties. When assembled as single-molecule junctions, it is possible to mechanically trigger the transoid to cisoid transition, resulting in an exquisitely sensitive mechanical switch with high switching ratio (> 10<sup>2</sup> ). Theoretical modeling shows that charge reconfiguration upon transoid to cisoid transition is responsible for the observed behavior, with generation and subsequent lifting of quantum interference features. These findings expand the experimental toolbox of molecular electronics with a novel chemical structure with outstanding electromechanical properties, further demonstrating the importance of subtle changes in charge delocalization on the transport properties of single-molecule devices.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: 1, 1’-dinaphthyl, mechanical switch, mechanoresistivity, molecular electronics
Divisions: Faculty of Science and Engineering > School of Physical Sciences
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 11 Apr 2024 09:40
Last Modified: 11 Apr 2024 09:41
DOI: 10.1002/smll.202308865
Open Access URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202308865
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3180278