The charge transport characteristics of 11 tailor-made dithiol-terminated oligo(phenylene-ethynylene) (OPE)-type molecules attached to two gold electrodes were studied at a solid/liquid interface in a combined approach using an STM break junction (STM-BJ) and a mechanically controlled break junction (MCBJ) setup. We designed and characterized 11 structurally distinct dithiol-terminated OPE-type molecules with varied length and HOMO/LUMO energy. Increase of the molecular length and/or of the HOMO-LUMO gap leads to a decrease of the single-junction conductance of the linearly conjugate acenes. The experimental data and simulations suggest a nonresonant tunneling mechanism involving hole transport through the molecular HOMO, with a decay constant β = 3.4 ± 0.1 nm(-1) and a contact resistance R(c) = 40 kΩ per Au-S bond. The introduction of a cross-conjugated anthraquinone or a dihydroanthracene central unit results in lower conductance values, which are attributed to a destructive quantum interference phenomenon for the former and a broken π-conjugation for the latter. The statistical analysis of conductance-distance and current-voltage traces revealed details of evolution and breaking of molecular junctions. In particular, we explored the effect of stretching rate and junction stability. We compare our experimental results with DFT calculations using the ab initio code SMEAGOL and discuss how the structure of the molecular wires affects the conductance values.

We report a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of the length dependence and anchor group dependence of the electrical conductance of a series of oligoyne molecular wires in single-molecule junctions with gold contacts. Experimentally, we focus on the synthesis and properties of diaryloligoynes with n = 1, 2, and 4 triple bonds and the anchor dihydrobenzo[b]thiophene (BT). For comparison, we also explored the aurophilic anchor group cyano (CN), amino (NH2), thiol (SH), and 4-pyridyl (PY). Scanning tunneling microscopy break junction (STM-BJ) and mechanically controllable break junction (MCBJ) techniques are employed to investigate single-molecule conductance characteristics. The BT moiety is superior as compared to traditional anchoring groups investigated so far. BT-terminated oligoynes display a 100% probability of junction formation and possess conductance values which are the highest of the oligoynes studied and, moreover, are higher than other conjugated molecular wires of similar length. Density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations are reported for oligoynes with n = 1-4 triple bonds. Complete conductance traces and conductance distributions are computed for each family of molecules. The sliding of the anchor groups leads to oscillations in both the electrical conductance and the binding energies of the studied molecular wires. In agreement with experimental results, BT-terminated oligoynes are predicted to have a high electrical conductance. The experimental attenuation constants βH range between 1.7 nm(-1) (CN) and 3.2 nm(-1) (SH) and show the following trend: βH(CN) < βH(NH2) < βH(BT) < βH(PY) ≈ βH(SH). DFT-based calculations yield lower values, which range between 0.4 nm(-1) (CN) and 2.2 nm(-1) (PY).

A quantum circuit rule for combining quantum interference effects in the conductive properties of oligo(phenyleneethynylene) (OPE)-type molecules possessing three aromatic rings was investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Molecules were of the type X-Y-X, where X represents pyridyl anchors with para (p), meta (m) or ortho (o) connectivities and Y represents a phenyl ring with p and m connectivities. The conductances G XmX (G XpX ) of molecules of the form X-m-X (X-p-X), with meta (para) connections in the central ring, were predominantly lower (higher), irrespective of the meta, para or ortho nature of the anchor groups X, demonstrating that conductance is dominated by the nature of quantum interference in the central ring Y. The single-molecule conductances were found to satisfy the quantum circuit rule G ppp /G pmp ¼ G mpm /G mmm . This demonstrates that the contribution to the conductance from the central ring is independent of the para versus meta nature of the anchor groups. S tudies of the electrical conductance of single molecules attached to metallic electrodes not only probe the fundamentals of quantum transport but also provide the knowledge needed to develop future molecular-scale devices and functioning circuits [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] . Owing to their small size (on the scale of Angstroms) and the large energy gaps (on the scale of eV), transport through single molecules can remain phase coherent even at room temperature, and constructive or destructive quantum interference (QI) can be utilized to manipulate their room temperature electrical 10-13 and thermoelectrical 14,15 properties. In previous studies, it was reported theoretically and experimentally that the conductance of a phenyl ring with meta (m) connectivity is lower than the isomer with para (p) connectivity by several orders of magnitude [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] . This arises because partial de Broglie waves traversing different paths through the ring are perfectly out of phase leading to destructive QI in the case of meta coupling, while for para or ortho coupling they are perfectly in phase and exhibit constructive QI. (See, for example, equation 8 of ref. 26.) It is therefore natural to investigate how QI in molecules with multiple aromatic rings can be utilized in the design of more complicated networks of interference-controlled molecular units.The basic unit for studying QI in single molecules is the phenyl ring, with thiol 17,21 , methyl thioether 27 , amine 17 or cyanide 19 anchors directly connecting the aromatic ring to gold electrodes. Recently, Arroyo et al. 28,29 studied the effect of QI in a central phenyl ring by varying the coupling to various anchor groups, including two variants of thienyl anchors. However, the relative importance of QI in central rings compared with QI in anchor groups has not been studied systematically because the thienyl anchors of Arroyo et al. 28,29 were five-membered rings, which exhibit only constructive interference. To study the relative effect of QI in anchors,...

A new and efficient approach using cleaving of trimethylsilyl groups to create covalent Au-C anchoring sites has been developed for single-molecule junction conductance measurements. Employing the mechanically controllable break junction (MCBJ) technique in liquid, we demonstrate the formation of highly conducting single molecular junctions of several OPE derivatives. The created junctions are mechanically stable and exhibit conductances around one order of magnitude higher than those of their dithiol analogues. Extended assembly and reaction times lead to oligomerization. Combined STM imaging and gap-mode Raman experiments provide structure evidence to support the formation of covalent Au-C contacts and further oligomerization.

The conductance properties of a photoswitchable dimethyldihydropyrene (DHP) derivative have been investigated for the first time in single-molecule junctions using the mechanically controllable break junction technique. We demonstrate that the reversible structure changes induced by isomerization of a single bispyridine-substituted DHP molecule are correlated with a large drop of the conductance value. We found a very high ON/OFF ratio (>10(4)) and an excellent reversibility of conductance switching.

The electrochemical reduction of CO 2 has been extensively studied over the past decades. Nevertheless, this topic has been tackled so far only by using a very fundamental approach and mostly by trying to improve kinetics and selectivities toward specific products in half-cell configurations and liquid-based electrolytes. The main drawback of this approach is that, due to the low solubility of CO 2 in water, the maximum CO 2 reduction current which could be drawn falls in the range of 0.01-0.02 A cm -2 . This is at least an order of magnitude lower current density than the requirement to make CO 2 -electrolysis a technically and economically feasible option for transformation of CO 2 into chemical feedstock or fuel thereby closing the CO 2 cycle. This work attempts to give a short overview on the status of electrochemical CO 2 reduction with respect to challenges at the electrolysis cell as well as at the catalyst level. We will critically discuss possible pathways to increase both operating current density and conversion efficiency in order to close the gap with established energy conversion technologies.

The understanding of the charge transport through single molecule junctions is a prerequisite for the design and building of electronic circuits based on single molecule junctions. However, reliable and robust formation of such junctions is a challenging task to achieve. In this topical review, we present a systematic investigation of the anchoring group effect on single molecule junction conductance by employing two complementary techniques, namely scanning tunneling microscopy break junction (STM-BJ) and mechanically controllable break junction (MCBJ) techniques, based on the studies published in the literature and important results from our own work. We compared conductance studies for conventional anchoring groups described earlier with the molecular junctions formed through π-interactions with the electrode surface (Au, Pt, Ag) and we also summarized recent developments in the formation of highly conducting covalent Au-C σ-bonds using oligophenyleneethynylene (OPE) and an alkane molecular backbone. Specifically, we focus on the electron transport properties of diaryloligoyne, oligophenyleneethynylene (OPE) and/or alkane molecular junctions composed of several traditional anchoring groups, (dihydrobenzo[b]thiophene (BT), 5-benzothienyl analogue (BTh), thiol (SH), pyridyl (PY), amine (NH2), cyano (CN), methyl sulphide (SMe), nitro (NO2)) and other anchoring groups at the solid/liquid interface. The qualitative and quantitative comparison of the results obtained with different anchoring groups reveals structural and mechanistic details of the different types of single molecular junctions. The results reported in this prospective may serve as a guideline for the design and synthesis of molecular systems to be used in molecule-based electronic devices.

Controlling charge transport through a single molecule connected to metallic electrodes remains one of the most fundamental challenges of nanoelectronics. Here we use electrochemical gating to reversibly tune the conductance of two different organic molecules, both containing anthraquinone (AQ) centers, over >1 order of magnitude. For electrode potentials outside the redox-active region, the effect of the gate is simply to shift the molecular energy levels relative to the metal Fermi level. At the redox potential, the conductance changes abruptly as the AQ unit is oxidized/reduced with an accompanying change in the conjugation pattern between linear and cross conjugation. The most significant change in conductance is observed when the electron pathway connecting the two electrodes is via the AQ unit. This is consistent with the expected occurrence of destructive quantum interference in that case. The experimental results are supported by an excellent agreement with ab initio transport calculations.