Ab initio electron transport study of carbon and boron-nitrogen nanowires

We report first-principles calculations on the electrical transport properties of two kinds of one-dimensional nanowires: (a) a carbon nanowire (CNW) with alternating single and triple bonds and (b) a boron-nitrogen nanowire (BNNW) with equidistant bonds. We demonstrate the similarity and difference between the carbon nanowire and its boron-nitrogen analogue in the molecular orbital and transport properties, and then explore the potential innovations. The effects of molecular orbitals and nanowire-electrode coupling on the transport properties are analyzed. The cases of the nanowires sandwiched between both nanoscale and bulk electrodes are considered. It suggests that the characteristics of the transmission spectra and the current-voltage characteristics (I-V curves) are determined both by the electrodes and by the molecule as well as their coupling. In particular, the negative differential resistance (NDR) phenomenon is more apparent when the nanowires are positioned between two nanoscale electrodes. The tuning of the transport properties is also probed through the changes of nanowire-electrode separation and the inclusion of a gate voltage. These lead to dramatic variations in the equilibrium conductance, which can be understood from the shift and alignment of the molecular orbital relative to the Fermi level of the electrodes. In the analysis of the effects of nanowire-electrode separation, it shows that the equilibrium conductance has the same variation behavior as that of the projected density of states (PDOS) for CNW, while the localized molecular orbitals of BNNW result in its conductance varies differently from its PDOS. The different molecular orbital characteristics near the Fermi level of these two kinds of nanowires underlie their different transport properties.     

DFT study of the conductance of molecular wire:The effect of coupling geometry and intermolecular interaction on the transport properties

The density functional theory (DFT) combining with the non-equilibrium Green functions (NEGF) method is applied to the study of the electronic transport properties for a Di-thiol-benzene (DTB) molecule coupled to two Au(111) surfaces. The dependence of the transport properties on the bias, the coupling geometry of the molecule-electrode interface, and the intermolecular interaction are examined in detail. The results show that the existence of the hydrogen atom at the end of the DTB molecule would significantly decrease the transmission coefficients, and then the differential conductance (dI/dV). By changing the position of the DTB molecule located between two electrodes a maximum value of calculated current is observed. It is also found that the intermolecular interaction will strongly influence the transport properties of the system studied.     

Changes of coupling between the electrodes and the molecule under external bias bring negative differential resistance

We report a first-principles study of electrical transport and negative differential resistance (NDR) in a single molecular conductor consisting of a borazine ring sandwiched between two Au(100) electrodes with a finite cross section. The projected density of states (PDOS) and transmission coefficients under various external voltage biases are analyzed, and it suggests that the variation of the coupling between the molecule and the electrodes with external bias leads to NDR. Therefore, we propose that one origin of NDR in molecular devices is caused by the characteristics of both the molecule and the electrodes as well as their cooperation, not necessarily only by the inherent properties of certain species of molecules themselves. The changes of charge state of the molecule have minor effects on NDR in this device because the Mulliken population analysis shows that electron occupation variation on the molecule is very small when different external biases are applied.     

Nonequilibrium GW approach to quantum transport in nano-scale contacts

Correlation effects within the GW approximation have been incorporated into the Keldysh nonequilibrium transport formalism. We show that GW describes the Kondo effect and the zero-temperature transport properties of the Anderson model fairly well. Combining the GW scheme with density functional theory and a Wannier function basis set, we illustrate the impact of correlations by computing the I-V characteristics of a hydrogen molecule between two Pt chains. Our results indicate that self-consistency is fundamental for the calculated currents, but that it tends to wash out satellite structures in the spectral function.     

CH2,NH,and O heteroatom substitution effects on the electronic,optical,and charge transport properties of a 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole-based derivative:Insights from theory

A set of CH2-,NH-,and O-substituted 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole(BTD)-based derivatives have been investigated theoretically in order to explore their electronic,optical,and charge transport properties.The calculation results show that the electronic and optical properties of the pristine molecule can be easily tuned through changing the S substituent in the central aromatic ring.Based on the calculated maximum emission wavelength,we predict that CH2-,NH-,and O-substituted BTD-based derivatives could be used as red,green,and orange light-emitting materials,respectively.After CH2-,NH-or O-substitution,the oscillator strengths of the emission spectra are enhanced with respect to that of the pristine molecule,implying that these compounds have larger fluorescence intensity.Finally,it can be deduced that CH2-,NH-,and O-substituted BTD-based derivatives may act as hole transport materials in organic light-emitting diodes.     

十字交叉型π共轭分子3,6-二苯-1,2,4,5-(2′,2″-二苯基)-苯并二噁唑的电子结构和电荷传输性质的理论研究

采用密度泛函理论的B3LYP方法, 在6-31G(d)基组水平下研究了以三联苯和二苯基苯并噁唑构成的十字交叉型共轭分子3,6-二苯基-1,2,4,5-(2′,2″-二苯基)-苯并二噁唑的电子结构和电荷传输性质. 通过对分子的重组能和晶体中分子间电荷传输积分的计算得到该分子的空穴迁移率为0.31 cm²·V^-1·s^-1, 电子迁移率为0.11 cm²/(V·s). 计算结果表明, 空穴的传输主要是通过三联苯方向上两端苯环的“边对面”的相互作用以及分子中心π体系的错位重叠相互作用来实现的. 而电子的传输路径主要是通过苯并噁唑方向的π-π重叠相互作用来实现. 通过分析分子正负离子态的Mulliken电荷发现, 正电荷较多分布在三联苯方向上, 而负电荷较多分布在苯并噁唑方向上. 计算结果表明, 电子和空穴的传输分别在分子相互交叉的不同方向上, 有利于电子和空穴的平衡传输.     

Electron Transport through Conjugated Molecules: When the π System Only Tells Part of the Story

In molecular transport junctions, current is monitored as a function of the applied voltage for a single molecule assembled between two leads. The transport is modulated by the electronic states of the molecule. For the prototypical delocalized systems, namely, π‐conjugated aromatics, the π system usually dominates the transport. Herein, we investigate situations where model calculations including only the π system do not capture all of the subtleties of the transport properties. Including both the σ and π contributions to charge transport allows us to demonstrate that while there is generally good agreement, there are discrepancies between the methods. We find that model calculations with only the π system are insufficient where the transport is dominated by quantum interference and cases where geometric changes modulate the coupling between different regions of the π system. We examine two specific molecular test cases to model these geometric changes: the angle dependence of coupling in (firstly) a biphenyl and (secondly) a nitro substituent of a cross‐conjugated unit.     

Al-C60-Al分子结电子输运特性的第一性原理计算

利用基于密度泛函理论的格林函数方法, 计算了Al-C60-Al分子结的电子输运特性. 考虑了C60分子在铝电极表面的原子结构弛豫, 计算结果表明共振传导是Al-C60-Al分子结电子输运的主要特征, 在费米能级附近的电导约为1.14G0 (G0=2e2/h). 投影态密度(PDOS)分析表明, Al-C60-Al分子结的电子输运主要通过C60分子的最低空分子轨道(LUMO)和次低空分子轨道(LUMO+1)进行. 讨论了C60分子和铝电极之间距离的变化对其电子输运特性的影响.     

氢键对分子器件电学特性的影响

利用密度泛函理论和弹性散射格林函数方法,研究了被不同官能团取代后的联苯分子的电输运特性.计算结果表明,由于氢键的影响,使得分子的电子结构发生了变化,特别是对电子在分子结内的跃迁几率影响较大,从而直接影响了分子器件的伏安特性.     

Nonequilibrium electronic transport of 4,4'-bipyridine molecular junction

The electronic transport properties of a 4,4'-bipyridine molecule sandwiched between two Au(111) surfaces are studied with a fully self-consistent nonequilibrium Green's-function method combined with the density-functional theory. The 4,4'-bipyridine molecule prefers to adsorb near the hollow site of the Au(111) surface and distorts slightly. The modifications on the electronic structure of the molecule due to the presence of the electrodes are described by the renormalized molecular orbitals, which correspond well to the calculated transmission peaks. The average Fermi level lies close to the lowest unoccupied renormalized molecular orbital, which determines the electronic transport property of the molecular junction under a small bias voltage. The total transmission is contributed by a single channel. The transmission peaks shift with the applied bias voltage, and this behavior depends on the spatial distribution of the renormalized molecular orbitals and the voltage drop along the molecular junction. The shape of the calculated conductance curve of the equilibrium geometric configuration reproduces the main feature of the experimental results, but the value is larger than the measured data by about 6 times. Good agreement with the experimental measurements can be obtained by elongating the molecular junction. The electronic transport behaviors depend strongly on the interface configuration.     

Adsorption of benzene-1,4-dithiol on the Au(111) surface and its possible role in molecular conductance

It is a consensus in the field of molecular electronics that the transport of charge across a single molecule depends sensitively on the details of the interaction between the molecule and the metallic leads, such as the molecular orientation. To advance the design of complex molecular devices, it is crucial to have a detailed understanding of these many aspects that influence the electron transport. A simple system that has been used as a paradigm of the class of conjugated aryl molecules is the benzene-1,4-dithiol (BDT). However, we still do not have a full understanding of the BDT transport experiments. Usually the geometries considered in transport calculations assumed that the BDT was connected to the two Au leads via the S atoms, and that the molecule was either perpendicular or close to a perpendicular configuration relative to the Au surfaces. Using ab initio calculations, we show that, for an isolated molecule, the configuration with largest adsorption energy has the BDT phenyl ring closer to being parallel to the surface, and we then argue, based on nonequilibrium Green's function-density functional theory calculations, that, depending on the experimental procedure, this may be the relevant configuration to be used in the transport calculations.     

The effect of electron correlation on the topological and atomic properties of the electron density distributions of molecules

The topological properties of the electron density and the properties of an atom in a molecule are calculated by means of second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) and compared with the results of configuration interaction calculations (C12) which include all single and double substitutions from the Hartree-Fock reference configuration. A software package for analyzing the effects of electron correlation on the topological properties of the electron density of molecules is described. H₂CO is used to provide a numerical example and to indicate that the number of bond critical points is unaffected by the inclusion of electron correlation. Correlation leads to only a small shift in the positions of bond critical points and a small change in the electron density at bond critical points. It is further shown that the energy of an atom in a molecule can be calculated to an accuracy of 1 kcal/mol and the electron population of an atom to about 0.001e. A statistical method is used to show that the deviation of the MP2 correlation correction relative to the CI2 correlation correction for a variety of atomic properties is about 25%.     

Controlling Single Molecule Conductance by a Locally Induced Chemical Reaction on Individual Thiophene Units

Among the prerequisites for the progress of single‐molecule‐based electronic devices are a better understanding of the electronic properties at the individual molecular level and the development of methods to tune the charge transport through molecular junctions. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is an ideal tool not only for the characterization, but also for the manipulation of single atoms and molecules on surfaces. The conductance through a single molecule can be measured by contacting the molecule with atomic precision and forming a molecular bridge between the metallic STM tip electrode and the metallic surface electrode. The parameters affecting the conductance are mainly related to their electronic structure and to the coupling to the metallic electrodes. Here, the experimental and theoretical analyses are focused on single tetracenothiophene molecules and demonstrate that an in situ‐induced direct desulfurization reaction of the thiophene moiety strongly improves the molecular anchoring by forming covalent bonds between molecular carbon and copper surface atoms. This bond formation leads to an increase of the conductance by about 50 % compared to the initial state.     

How the surrounding water changes the electronic and magnetic properties of DNA

We study the influence of humidity on the transport and magnetic properties of DNA within the quantum chemistry methods. Strong influence of water molecules on these properties, observed in this study, opens up opportunities for application of DNA in molecular electronics. Interaction of the nucleobases with water molecules leads to breaking of some of the pi bonds and appearance of unbound pi electrons. These unbound electrons contribute significantly to the charge transfer at room temperature by up to 10(3) times, but at low temperature the efficiency of charge transfer is determined by the spin interaction of two unbound electrons located on the intrastrand nucleobases. The charge exchange between the nucleobases is allowed only when the spins of unbound electrons are antiparallel. Therefore, the conductance of DNA molecule can be controlled by a magnetic field. That effect has potentials for applications in developing nanoscale spintronic devices based on the DNA molecule, where efficiency of spin interaction will be determined by the DNA sequence.     

CO分子结点电子结构和输运性质的第一原理研究

采用基于密度泛函理论(DFT)的非平衡态格林函数方法(NEGF), 计算了CO分子结点低偏压下的电流和电导. 通过系统透射谱、投影态密度(PDOS)以及分子自洽投影哈密顿量(MPSH)本征态的分析将透射通道与局域分子轨道联系起来, 从系统电子结构解释了其传输性质. 讨论了电荷转移对系统电导的影响.     

Fluorescence of the lactone form of rhodamine B

A quantum-chemical investigation of spectral fluorescent properties of the lactone form of rhodamine B molecule is conducted with allowance for its interaction with polar solvent. It is shown that within the model, two emitting states emerge that can be attributed to the zwitterion and lactone forms of the rhodamine molecule based on their nature and energy. A lack of interaction between the emitting states is observed in the internal conversion channel. The rate constants of photophysical processes are estimated. The quantum yields of dual fluorescence are calculated.     

Protonation effects on electron transport through diblock molecular junctions:A theoretical study

Diblock oligomers are widely used in molecular electronics. Based on fully self-consistent nonequilib-rium Green's function method and density functional theory, we study the electron transport properties of the molecular junction with a dipyrimidinyl-diphenyl (PMPH) diblock molecule sandwiched between two gold electrodes. Effects of different kinds of molecule-electrode anchoring geometry and protona-tion of the PMPH molecule are studied. Protonation leads to both conductance and rectification en-hancements. However, the experimentally observed rectifying direction inversion is not found in our calculation. The preferential current direction is always from the pyrimidinyl to the phenyl side. Our calculations indicate that the protonation of the molecular wire is not the only reason of the rectification inversion.     

Tuning of electron transport through molecular bridge systems: A study of shot noise

We study electron transport characteristics through a single phenalenyl molecule attached with two nonsuperconducting electrodes by the use of Green's function technique. Parametric calculations are given based on the tight‐binding model to characterize the electron transport through such molecular bridge system. It is observed that the electron transport properties are significantly influenced by (a) the interference effect and (b) the molecule‐to‐electrodes coupling strength. In this context we also describe the noise power of the current fluctuations that provides an important information about the electron correlation, which is obtained by calculating the Fano factor (F). The knowledge of this current fluctuations gives a key idea for fabrication of efficient molecular devices. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008     

Tunneling currents that increase with molecular elongation

We present a model molecular system with an unintuitive transport-extension behavior in which the tunneling current increases with forced molecular elongation. The molecule consists of two complementary aromatic units (1,4-anthracenedione and 1,4-anthracenediol) hinged via two ether chains and attached to gold electrodes through thiol-terminated alkenes. The transport properties of the molecule as it is mechanically elongated in a single-molecule pulling setting are computationally investigated using a combination of equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of the pulling with gDFTB computations of the transport properties in the Landauer limit. Contrary to the usual exponential decay of tunneling currents with increasing molecular length, the simulations indicate that upon elongation electronic transport along the molecule increases 10-fold. The structural origin of this inverted trend in the transport is elucidated via a local current analysis that reveals the dual role played by H-bonds in both stabilizing π-stacking for selected extensions and introducing additional electronic couplings between the complementary aromatic rings that also enhance tunneling currents across the molecule. The simulations illustrate an inverted electromechanical single-molecule switch that is based on a novel class of transport-extension behavior that can be achieved via mechanical manipulation and highlight the remarkable sensitivity of conductance measurements to the molecular conformation.     

A generalized quantum chemical approach for elastic and inelastic electron transports in molecular electronics devices

A generalized quantum chemical approach for electron transport in molecular devices is developed. It allows one to treat devices where the metal electrodes and the molecule are either chemically or physically bonded on equal footing. An extension to include the vibration motions of the molecule has also been implemented which has produced the inelastic electron-tunneling spectroscopy of molecular electronics devices with unprecedented accuracy. Important information about the structure of the molecule and of metal-molecule contacts that are not accessible in the experiment are revealed. The calculated current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of different molecular devices, including benzene-1,4-dithiolate, octanemonothiolate [H(CH2)8S], and octanedithiolate [S(CH2)8S] bonded to gold electrodes, are in very good agreement with experimental measurements.