Issue 32, 2024

Dynamically blocking leakage current in molecular tunneling junctions

Abstract

Molecular tunneling junctions based on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have demonstrated rectifying characteristics at the nanoscale that can hardly be achieved using traditional approaches. However, defects in SAMs result in high leakage when applying bias. The poor performance of molecular diodes compared to silicon or thin-film devices limits their further development. In this study, we show that incorporating “mixed backbones” with flexible-rigid structures into molecular junctions can dynamically block tunneling currents, which is difficult to realize using non-molecular technology. Our idea is achieved by the interaction between interfacial dipole moments and electric field, triggering structured packing in SAMs. Efficient blocking of leakage by more than an order of magnitude leads to a significant enhancement of the rectification ratio to the initial value. The rearrangement of supramolecular structures has also been verified through electrochemistry and electroluminescence measurements. Moreover, the enhanced rectification is extended to various challenging environments, including endurance measurements, bending of electrodes, and rough electrodes, thus demonstrating the feasibility of the dynamic behavior of molecules for practical electronic applications.

Graphical abstract: Dynamically blocking leakage current in molecular tunneling junctions

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Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
29 apr 2024
Accepted
26 jun 2024
First published
27 jun 2024
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2024,15, 12721-12731

Dynamically blocking leakage current in molecular tunneling junctions

Y. Xie, S. Qiu, Q. Guo, C. Li, N. Chen, Z. Zhou, Z. Yang, Z. Cao, T. Wang, W. Du, L. Wang and Y. Li, Chem. Sci., 2024, 15, 12721 DOI: 10.1039/D4SC02829E

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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