Volume 174, 2014

Molecular diodes enabled by quantum interference

Abstract

We use scanning tunneling microscope break-junction (STM-BJ) measurements to study the low-bias conductance and high-bias current–voltage (IV) characteristics of a series of asymmetric parameta connected diphenyl-oligoenes. From tight-binding calculations, we determine that the quantum interference features inherent in our molecular design result in a ‘through-bond’ coupling on the para-side, and through-space coupling on the meta-side. We show that these molecular junctions form single molecule diodes, and show that the rectification results from a difference in the voltage dependence of the coupling strength on the through-bond and the through-space side. The interplay between the applied voltage and the molecule–metal coupling results from the asymmetric polarizability of the conducting orbital under an external field.

Associated articles

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
05 May 2014
Accepted
17 Jun 2014
First published
17 Jun 2014

Faraday Discuss., 2014,174, 79-89

Molecular diodes enabled by quantum interference

A. Batra, J. S. Meisner, P. Darancet, Q. Chen, M. L. Steigerwald, C. Nuckolls and L. Venkataraman, Faraday Discuss., 2014, 174, 79 DOI: 10.1039/C4FD00093E

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