Shi-Xia Liu

Trimethylsilyl-Terminated Oligo(phenylene ethynylene)s: An Approach to Single-Molecule Junctions with Covalent Au–C σ-Bonds

A new and efficient approach using cleaving of trimethylsilyl groups to create covalent Au-C anchoring sites has been developed for single-molecule junction conductance measurements. Employing the mechanically controllable break junction (MCBJ) technique in liquid, we demonstrate the formation of highly conducting single molecular junctions of several OPE derivatives. The created junctions are mechanically stable and exhibit conductances around one order of magnitude higher than those of their dithiol analogues. Extended assembly and reaction times lead to oligomerization. Combined STM imaging and gap-mode Raman experiments provide structure evidence to support the formation of covalent Au-C contacts and further oligomerization.

Cyclic Conductance Switching in Networks of Redox-Active Molecular Junctions

Redox-active dithiolated tetrathiafulvalene derivatives (TTFdT) were inserted in two-dimensional nanoparticle arrays to build interlinked networks of molecular junctions. Upon oxidation of the TTFdT to the dication state, we observed a conductance increase of the networks by up to 1 order of magnitude. Successive oxidation and reduction cycles demonstrated a clear switching behavior of the molecular junction conductance. These results show the potential of interlinked nanoparticle arrays as chemical sensors.

Imidazole-Annulated Tetrathiafulvalenes Exhibiting pH-Tuneable Intramolecular Charge Transfer and Redox Properties

In order to study the electronic interactions in donor-acceptor ensembles as a function of pH, an efficient synthetic route to three imidazole-annulated tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) derivatives 1-3 is reported. Their electronic absorption spectra, in view of photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer, and their electrochemical behavior were investigated, and pK(a) values for the two protonation processes on the acceptor unit were determined in organic solvents by photometric titration. The influence of the TTF moiety on these values is discussed.

Pronounced Electrochemical Amphotericity of a Fused Donor-Acceptor Compound : A Planar Merge of TTF with a TCNQ-Type Bithienoquinoxaline

Narrowing the gap: A compactly fused π‐conjugated molecule combines a high‐lying HOMO with a low‐lying LUMO (Eox−Ered=0.52 eV) and a fairly low‐lying LUMO+1 on the bridging unit, giving rise to strong optical charge‐transfer transitions. A facile electron transfer has been observed by EPR and NMR spectroscopies.

Tunneling, remanence, and frustration in dysprosium-based endohedral single-molecule magnets

Paramagnetic atoms inside nanometer sized fullerenes realize robust, and chemically protected, spin systems. Changing the stoichiometry of the endohedral clusters results in a variety of magnetic ground states, as it is demonstrated for DynSc3-nN@C-80 (n = 1,2,3). All three exhibit distinct hysteresis and qualify as single-molecule magnets. In zero field the magnetization of n = 1 decays via quantum tunneling, while ferromagnetic coupling of the individual dysprosium moments results in remanence for Dy2ScN@C-80 and in a frustrated ground state for n = 3. The latter ground state turns out to be one of the simplest realizations of a frustrated, ferromagnetically coupled, system.

Regulating a Benzodifuran Single Molecule Redox Switch via Electrochemical Gating and Optimization of Molecule/Electrode Coupling

We report a novel strategy for the regulation of charge transport through single molecule junctions via the combination of external stimuli of electrode potential, internal modulation of molecular structures, and optimization of anchoring groups. We have designed redox-active benzodifuran (BDF) compounds as functional electronic units to fabricate metal-molecule-metal (m-M-m) junction devices by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and mechanically controllable break junctions (MCBJ). The conductance of thiol-terminated BDF can be tuned by changing the electrode potentials showing clearly an off/on/off single molecule redox switching effect. To optimize the response, a BDF molecule tailored with carbodithioate (-CS2(-)) anchoring groups was synthesized. Our studies show that replacement of thiol by carbodithioate not only enhances the junction conductance but also substantially improves the switching effect by enhancing the on/off ratio from 2.5 to 8.

Novel unsymmetrically functionalized BEDT–TTF derivatives: synthesis, crystal structure and electrochemical characterization

Novel functionalized bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene (BEDT–TTF) derivatives 4 and 5 have been synthesized in good yields from cyano precursor via a cross-coupling reaction. Their redox potentials have been studied by cyclic voltammetry in a dichloromethane solution; this indicated that they are slightly weaker electron donors than BEDT–TTF. Compound 4 has been studied by X–ray crystallography; this revealed that, in the crystal, the molecules were held together by some unconventional C–H···N and C–H···S hydrogen bonds.

Functionalized adamantane tectons used in the design of mixed-ligand copper(II) 1,2,4-triazolyl/carboxylate metal-organic frameworks.

Bistriazoles, 1,3-bis(1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)propane (tr(2)pr) and 1,3-bis(1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)adamantane (tr(2)ad), were examined in combination with the rigid tetratopic 1,3,5,7-adamantanetetracarboxylic acid (H(4)-adtc) platform for the construction of neutral heteroleptic copper(II) metal-organic frameworks. Two coordination polymers, [{Cu(4)(OH)(2)(H(2)O)(2)}{Cu(4)(OH)(2)}(tr(2)pr)(2)(H-adtc)(4)]·2H(2)O (1) and [Cu(4)(OH)(2)(tr(2)ad)(2)(H-adtc)(2)(H(2)O)(2)]·3H(2)O (2), were synthesized and structurally characterized. In complexes 1 and 2, the N(1),N(2)-1,2,4-triazolyl (tr) and μ(3)-OH(-) groups serve as complementary bridges between adjacent metal centers supporting the tetranuclear dihydroxo clusters. The structure of 1 represents a unique association of two different kinds of centrosymmetrical {Cu(4)(OH)(2)} units in a tight 3D framework, while in compound 2, another configuration type of acentric tetranuclear metal clusters is organized in a layered 3,6-hexagonal motif. In both cases, the {Cu(4)(OH)(2)} secondary building block and trideprotonated carboxylate H-adtc(3-) can be viewed as covalently bound six- and three-connected nodes that define the net topology. The tr ligands, showing μ(3)- or μ(4)-binding patterns, introduce additional integrating links between the neighboring {Cu(4)(OH)(2)} fragments. A variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility study of 2 demonstrates strong antiferromagnetic intracluster coupling (J(1) = -109 cm(-1) and J(2) = -21 cm(-1)), which combines for the bulk phase with a weak antiferromagnetic intercluster interaction (zj = -2.5 cm(-1)).

A Compactly Fused π-Conjugated Tetrathiafulvalene-Perylenediimide Donor-Acceptor Dyad

The synthesis and structural characterization of a tetrathiafulvalene-fused perylenediimide molecular dyad is presented. Its largely extended pi-conjugation provides intense optical absorption bands over a wide spectral range. The planar functional molecule exhibits a short-lived nonluminescent excited state attributed to intramolecular charge separation.

TetrathiafulvaleneBenzothiadiazoles as Redox‐Tunable Donor–Acceptor Systems: Synthesis and Photophysical Study

Electrochemical and photophysical analysis of new donor-acceptor systems 2 and 3, in which a benzothiadiazole (BTD) unit is covalently linked to a tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) core, have verified that the lowest excited state can be ascribed to an intramolecular-charge-transfer (ICT) π(TTF)→π*(benzothiadiazole) transition. Owing to better overlap of the HOMO and LUMO in the fused scaffold of compound 3, the intensity of the (1)ICT band is substantially higher compared to that in compound 2. The corresponding CT fluorescence is also observed in both cases. The radical cation TTF(+·) is easily observed through chemical and electrochemical oxidation by performing steady-state absorption experiments. Interestingly, compound 2 is photo-oxidized under aerobic conditions.