Charge transport characteristics of diarylethene photoswitching single-molecule junctions.
We report on the experimental analysis of the charge transport through single-molecule junctions of the open and closed isomers of photoswitching molecules. Sulfur-free diarylethene molecules are developed and studied via electrical and optical measurements as well as density functional theory calculations. The single-molecule conductance and the current-voltage characteristics are measured in a mechanically controlled break-junction system at low temperatures. Comparing the results with the single-level transport model, we find an unexpected behavior of the current-dominating molecular orbital upon isomerization. We show that both the side chains and end groups of the molecules are crucial to understand the charge transport mechanism of photoswitching molecular junctions.
Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
Youngsang
Y
Kim
Thomas J
TJ
Hellmuth
Dmytro
D
Sysoiev
Fabian
F
Pauly
Torsten
T
Pietsch
Jannic
J
Wolf
Artur
A
Erbe
Thomas
T
Huhn
Ulrich
U
Groth
Ulrich E
UE
Steiner
Elke
E
Scheer