Understanding the Fundamental Behavior of Single Molecule Electrical Junctions

了解单分子电结的基本行为

• 批准号: 2102557
• 负责人: Eric Borguet
• 金额: $ 55万
• 依托单位: Temple University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-08-15 至 2024-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2102557&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Understanding; Fundamental; Behavior; Single; Molecule

In this project supported by the Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanisms-A (CSDM-A) Program of the Division of Chemistry, Professor Eric Borguet and his students at Temple University seek to understand how chemical modification of a target molecule affects charge transport along different directions inside the molecule. Moving electrons lie at the heart of chemistry and biology. This process is sensitive to, and therefore can be controlled by, the electronic properties of the molecules through which the electrons travel as well as the chemical and physical properties of the environment in which the molecules are embedded. This is done by trapping a single molecule in a nanoscale junction where the electrical properties are measured. This knowledge will be exploited to achieve desired single molecule junction electronic characteristics, and may ultimately enable the development of useful device platforms for molecular switching and sensing. While it is known that chemical substitution changes the electronic properties of molecules, the impact on the conductance measured perpendicular to the molecular plane vs. that measured along the molecular plane has not been determined. Taking advantage of the ability to control molecular orientation in a junction (e.g. upright or flat), using the electrode potential in an electrochemical environment, this question will be tackled by measuring the directional dependence of the conductance of a series of molecules with different functional groups. Calculations suggest promising chemical substitutions of small benzene derivatives that modulate electrical conductivity in an unanticipated manner, e.g., different effects for different molecular orientations. The analysis of the large complex data sets generated will be enabled by sophisticated tools to identify low probability events and multiple possible junction configurations. In terms of scientific broader impacts, these fundamental studies have the potential to enable the construction of efficient systems for nascent technologies, such as nanoscale electronics and sensors. In terms of educational broader impacts, high school, undergraduate and graduate students will have the opportunity to participate in this collaborative study with an international team of experts in state-of-the-art measurement, data analysis and theory.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

在该项目的支持下，化学结构，动力学和机制-A（CSDM-A）化学划分计划，Eric Borguet教授及其在Temple University的学生旨在了解目标分子的化学修饰如何影响分子内不同方向的电荷运输。移动电子位于化学和生物学的核心。 该过程对电子传播的分子的电子特性以及分子嵌入分子的化学和物理特性的分子的电子特性敏感，因此可以控制。 这是通过将单个分子捕获在测量电性能的纳米级连接中来完成的。这些知识将被利用以实现所需的单分子连接电子特性，并最终可以开发用于分子开关和传感的有用设备平台。 虽然众所周知，化学取代会改变分子的电子特性，但尚未确定垂直于分子平面而测量的电导的影响，而沿着分子平面测得的电导。 利用在电化学环境中使用电极电位来控制分子取向的能力，该问题将通过测量具有不同官能团的一系列分子电导的方向依赖性来解决这个问题。 计算表明，小苯衍生物的有希望的化学取代，这些苯衍生物以意外的方式调节电导率，例如，不同分子方向的不同影响。 生成的大型复杂数据集的分析将通过复杂的工具来启用，以识别低概率事件和多个可能的连接配置。 在科学广泛的影响方面，这些基本研究有可能为纳米级电子和传感器等新生技术的有效系统构建。 就教育更广泛的影响而言，高中，本科生和研究生将有机会与国际最先进的测量，数据分析和理论专家团队一起参加这项合作研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过基金会的知识优点和广泛的影响来评估NSF的法定任务，并被认为是值得的支持。