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Three‐State Single‐Molecule Naphthalenediimide Switch: Integration of a Pendant Redox Unit for Conductance Tuning
Author(s) -
Li Yonghai,
Baghernejad Masoud,
Qusiy AlGaliby,
Zsolt Manrique David,
Zhang Guanxin,
Hamill Joseph,
Fu Yongchun,
Broekmann Peter,
Hong Wenjing,
Wandlowski Thomas,
Zhang Deqing,
Lambert Colin
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201506458
Subject(s) - conductance , molecule , redox , chemistry , break junction , diimide , electrochemistry , chemical physics , molecular switch , ionic bonding , electrode , inorganic chemistry , ion , perylene , organic chemistry , mathematics , combinatorics
We studied charge transport through core‐substituted naphthalenediimide (NDI) single‐molecule junctions using the electrochemical STM‐based break‐junction technique in combination with DFT calculations. Conductance switching among three well‐defined states was demonstrated by electrochemically controlling the redox state of the pendent diimide unit of the molecule in an ionic liquid. The electrical conductances of the dianion and neutral states differ by more than one order of magnitude. The potential‐dependence of the charge‐transport characteristics of the NDI molecules was confirmed by DFT calculations, which account for electrochemical double‐layer effects on the conductance of the NDI junctions. This study suggests that integration of a pendant redox unit with strong coupling to a molecular backbone enables the tuning of charge transport through single‐molecule devices by controlling their redox states.