Fine-Tuning the Molecular Design for High-Performance Molecular Diodes Based on Pyridyl Isomers

Better control of molecule-electrode coupling (Γ) to minimize leakage current is an effective method to optimize the functionality of molecular diodes. Herein we embedded 5 isomers of phenypyridyl derivatives, each with an N atom placed at a different position, in two electrodes to fine-tune Γ between self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and the top electrode of EGaIn (eutectic Ga−In terminating in Ga₂O₃). Combined with electrical tunnelling results, characterizations of electronic structures, single-level model fittings, and DFT calculations, we found that the values of Γ of SAMs formed by these isomers could be regulated by nearly 10 times, thereby contributing to the leakage current changing over about two orders of magnitude and switching the isomers from resistors to diodes with a rectification ratio (r⁺=|J(+1.5 V)/J(−1.5 V)|) exceeding 200. We demonstrated that the N atom placement can be chemically engineered to tune the resistive and rectifying properties of the molecular junctions, making it possible to convert molecular resistors into rectifiers. Our study provides fundamental insights into the role of isomerism in molecular electronics and offers a new avenue for designing functional molecular devices.     

Chemical Synthesis of an Octasaccharide Derivative Related to Group B Streptococcus Cell-Wall Polysaccharide

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the major pathogen that causes invasive infectious diseases in neonates and infants. The development of preventive and therapeutic strategies against GBS infection has been becoming the most pressing subject worldwide. Group B carbohydrate (GBC), the group B-specific polysaccharide that distinguishes GBS with other streptococci species, has been identified as an attractive antigen for diagnosis and vaccine development because of its highly conservative tetra-antennary structure. In this paper, a highly convergent [3 + 5] glycosylation strategy for efficient synthesis of an octasaccharide derivative related to GBC oligosaccharide unit II has been developed. In this synthesis, each glycosylation reaction was efficiently constructed with glycosyl imidates, especially trifluoroacetimidate, as donors, and each glycosidic bond was stereoselectively controlled via the neighboring group participation effect of acyl group on the 2-O-position of imidate donors or the solvent effect of Et₂O. Furthermore, the aminoethylphosphate group was smoothly installed on the 6-O-position of d -glucitol residue using the phosphoramidite method. After global deprotection, the target octasaccharide was successfully obtained from d -glucitol in 29 steps with an overall yield of 1.37%. The free amino group installed on the aminoethylphosphate spacer of the target molecule enables its modification with functionalized biomolecules for further biological studies.