Organometallic Molecular Wires with Thioacetylene Backbones,trans-{RS-(C≡C)n}2Ru(phosphine)4: High Conductance through Non-Aromatic Bridging Linkers

In this work, the design, synthesis, and single-molecule conductance of ethynyl- and butadiynyl-ruthenium molecular wires with thioether anchor groups [RS=n-C₆H₁₃S, p-tert-Bu−C₆H₄S), trans-{RS−(C≡C)_n}₂Ru(dppe)₂ (n=1 ( 1^R ), 2 ( 2^R ); dppe: 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) and trans-(n-C₆H₁₃S−C≡C)₂Ru{P(OMe)₃}₄ 3^hex ] are reported. Scanning tunneling microscope break-junction study has revealed conductance of the organometallic molecular wires with the thioacetylene backbones higher than that of the related organometallic wires having arylethynylruthenium linkages with the sulfur anchor groups, trans-{p-MeS−C₆H₄-(C≡C)_n}₂Ru(phosphine)₄ 4 ⁿ (n=1, 2) and trans-(Th−C≡C)₂Ru(phosphine)₄ 5 (Th=3-thienyl). It should be noted that the molecular junctions constructed from the butadiynyl wire 2^R , trans-{ Au −RS−(C≡C)₂}₂Ru(dppe)₂ ( Au : gold metal electrode), show conductance comparable to that of the covalently linked polyynyl wire with the similar molecular length, trans-{ Au −(C≡C)₃}₂Ru(dppe)₂ 6³ . The DFT non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) study supports the highly conducting nature of the thioacetylene molecular wires through HOMO orbitals.     

微调镝(Ⅲ)离子配位环境提升单离子磁体有效能垒

对于合成化学家来说,通过合成策略调控单离子磁体的磁动力学是一项艰巨的任务。我们以三（2-羟基亚苄基）三氨基胍配体（L）合成了2例单核Dy（Ⅲ）配合物[Dy（L）₂（H₂O）₂]ClO₄·2H₂O·2CH₃CN·CH₃OH（1）和[Dy（L）₂（H₂O）₂]CF₃SO₃·4H₂O·2CH₃OH（2）。对其结构和磁性研究表明,不同的抗衡阴离子对于配合物1和2的动态磁行为有显著影响。2个配合物中,Dy（Ⅲ）中心都具有三角形十二面体D_2d对称性,在零直流场下表现出单离子磁体的行为,其有效能垒分别为358 K（1）和309 K（2）。结构参数对比表明轴向位置的键长和键角微小变化对轴向配体场产生了显著的影响,而轴向配体场的微小变化导致了2个配合物交流磁性的差异。     

A Memristive Element Based on an Electrically Controlled Single-Molecule Reaction

The exponential proliferation of data during the information age has required the continuous exploration of novel storage paradigms, materials, and devices with increasing data density. As a step toward the ultimate limits in data density, the development of an electrically controllable single-molecule memristive element is reported. In this device, digital information is encoded through switching between two isomer states by applying a voltage signal to the molecular junction, and the information is read out by monitoring the electrical conductance of each isomer. The two states are cycled using an electrically controllable local-heating mechanism for the forward reaction and catalyzed by a single charge-transfer process for the reverse switching. This single-molecule device can be modulated in situ, is fully reversible, and does not display stochastic switching. The I–V curves of this single-molecule system also exhibit memristive character. These features suggest a new approach for the development of molecular switching systems and storage-class memories.     

单分子电泳:纳米孔道电化学的新认识

该文旨在从电泳分离技术的角度认识纳米孔道电化学单分子分析技术,这种技术可以作为"单分子电泳"来理解和研究。纳米孔道电化学单分子分析技术与电泳的本质都是采用外加电场使待测分子产生电迁移。待测分子性质不同,且与介质材料孔道外露基团相互作用不同,使得分子移动速度具有差异,据此实现分离识别。气单胞菌溶素（Aerolysin）纳米孔道,由于其孔径与待测分子尺寸相匹配,其孔道内壁可以看作是由氨基酸组成的具有调控单个分子电迁移能力的特异性孔道界面。每一个氨基酸残基都相当于一个探测单元,在电场力的作用下,待测分子逐一进入孔道时与每一个探测单元相互作用方式、程度与时长不同,从而形成了单个待测分子特征的迁移速度和迁移运动轨迹。在纳米孔道实验中,每秒可以有上千个待测分子穿过孔道,产生特征阻断电流信号。通过对这些信号的阻断电流、阻断时间、阻断频率、信号特征等进行统计分析,可以从"单分子电泳"水平对单个待测物实现高通量的分辨和识别。该文以Aerolysin纳米孔道分辨仅有一个核苷酸差异的寡聚核苷酸（5'-CAA-3'、5'-CAAA-3'、5'-CAAAA-3'）为例,详细阐述了纳米孔道"单分子电泳"的单核苷酸分辨能力,展现了电化学限域空间在电泳单分子水平分离技术上的应用。     

Probing Relaxation Dynamics in Five-Coordinate Dysprosium Single-Molecule Magnets

A new family of five-coordinate lanthanide single-molecule magnets (Ln SMMs) [Dy(Mes*O)₂(THF)₂X] (Mes*=2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl; X=Cl, 1 ; Br, 2 ; I, 3 ) is reported with energy barriers to magnetic reversal >1200 K. The five-coordinate Dy^III ions have distorted square pyramidal geometries, with halide anions on the apex, and two Mes*O ligands mutually trans- to each other, and the two THF molecules forming the second trans- pair. These geometrical features lead to a large magnetic anisotropy in these complexes along the trans-Mes*O direction. QTM and Raman relaxation times are enhanced by varying the apex halide from Cl to Br to I, or by dilution in a diamagnetic yttrium analogue.     

Quantitative Assessment of Tip Effects in Single‐Molecule High‐Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Using DNA Origami Substrates

High‐speed atomic force microscopy (HS‐AFM) is widely employed in the investigation of dynamic biomolecular processes at a single‐molecule level. However, it remains an open and somewhat controversial question, how these processes are affected by the rapidly scanned AFM tip. While tip effects are commonly believed to be of minor importance in strongly binding systems, weaker interactions may significantly be disturbed. Herein, we quantitatively assess the role of tip effects in a strongly binding system using a DNA origami‐based single‐molecule assay. Despite its femtomolar dissociation constant, we find that HS‐AFM imaging can disrupt monodentate binding of streptavidin (SAv) to biotin (Bt) even under gentle scanning conditions. To a lesser extent, this is also observed for the much stronger bidentate SAv–Bt complex. The presented DNA origami‐based assay can be universally employed to quantify tip effects in strongly and weakly binding systems and to optimize the experimental settings for their reliable HS‐AFM imaging.     

Control of Intrachain Morphology in the Formation of Polyfluorene Aggregates on the Single-Molecule Level

Controlling the morphology of π-conjugated polymers for organic optoelectronic devices has long been a goal in the field of materials science. Since the morphology of a polymer chain is closely intertwined with its photophysical properties, it is desirable to be able to change the arrangement of the polymers at will. We investigate the π-conjugated polymer poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) (PFO), which can exist in three distinctly different structural phases: the α-, β-, and γ-phase. Every phase has a different chain structure and a unique photoluminescence (PL) spectrum. Due to its unique properties and the pronounced spectral structure-property relations, PFO can be used as a model system to study the morphology of π-conjugated polymers. To avoid ensemble averaging, we examine the PL spectrum of single PFO chains embedded in a non-fluorescent matrix. With single-molecule spectroscopy the structural phase of every single chain can be determined, and changes can be monitored very easily. To manipulate the morphology, solvent vapor annealing (SVA) was applied, which leads to a diffusion of the polymer chains in the matrix. The β- and γ-phases appear during the self-assembly of single α-phase PFO chains into mesoscopic aggregates. The extent of β- and γ-phase formation is directed by the solvent-swelling protocol used for aggregation. Aggregation unequivocally promotes formation of the more planar β- and γ-phases. Once these lower-energy more ordered structural phases are formed, SVA cannot return the polymer chain to the less ordered phase by aggregate swelling.     

Highly Axial Magnetic Anisotropy in a N3O5 Dysprosium(III) Coordination Environment Generated by a Merocyanine Ligand

A spiropyran‐based switchable ligand isomerizes upon reaction with lanthanide(III) precursors to generate complexes with an unusual N₃O₅ coordination sphere. The air‐stable dysprosium(III) complex shows a hysteresis loop at 2 K and a very strong axial magnetic anisotropy generated by the merocyanine phenolate donor.     

Applying Unconventional Spectroscopies to the Single-Molecule Magnets,Co(PPh3)2X2 (X=Cl,Br, I): Unveiling Magnetic Transitions and Spin-Phonon Coupling

Large separation of magnetic levels and slow relaxation in metal complexes are desirable properties of single-molecule magnets (SMMs). Spin-phonon coupling (interactions of magnetic levels with phonons) is ubiquitous, leading to magnetic relaxation and loss of memory in SMMs and quantum coherence in qubits. Direct observation of magnetic transitions and spin-phonon coupling in molecules is challenging. We have found that far-IR magnetic spectra (FIRMS) of Co(PPh₃)₂X₂ ( Co-X ; X=Cl, Br, I) reveal rarely observed spin-phonon coupling as avoided crossings between magnetic and u-symmetry phonon transitions. Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) gives phonon spectra. Calculations using VASP and phonopy programs gave phonon symmetries and movies. Magnetic transitions among zero-field split (ZFS) levels of the S=3/2 electronic ground state were probed by INS, high-frequency and -field EPR (HFEPR), FIRMS, and frequency-domain FT terahertz EPR (FD-FT THz-EPR), giving magnetic excitation spectra and determining ZFS parameters (D, E) and g values. Ligand-field theory (LFT) was used to analyze earlier electronic absorption spectra and give calculated ZFS parameters matching those from the experiments. DFT calculations also gave spin densities in Co-X , showing that the larger Co(II) spin density in a molecule, the larger its ZFS magnitude. The current work reveals dynamics of magnetic and phonon excitations in SMMs. Studies of such couplings in the future would help to understand how spin-phonon coupling may lead to magnetic relaxation and develop guidance to control such coupling.     

Study of the effect of atorvastatin on the interaction between ICAM-1 and CD11b by live-cell single-molecule force spectroscopy

The interaction between the cell adhesion molecule CD11b and its ligand ICAM-1 plays an important role in inflammatory responses in the disease of atherosclerosis. Atorvastatin is a commonly prescribed statin drug which has been considered as one of the most potent therapeutic agents for atherosclerosis due to its lipid-lowering effect. Recently, there is a growing body of evidence that atorvastatin has anti-inflammatory effect. We have applied the advanced method of live-cell single-molecule force spectros...