Lee, Woojung and Li, Liang and Camarasa-Gomez, Maria and Hernangomez-Perez, Daniel and Roy, Xavier and Evers, Ferdinand and Inkpen, Michael S. and Venkataraman, Latha (2024) Photooxidation driven formation of Fe-Au linked ferrocene-based single-molecule junctions. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, 15 (1): 1439. ISSN , 2041-1723
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Metal-metal contacts, though not yet widely realized, may provide exciting opportunities to serve as tunable and functional interfaces in single-molecule devices. One of the simplest components which might facilitate such binding interactions is the ferrocene group. Notably, direct bonds between the ferrocene iron center and metals such as Pd or Co have been demonstrated in molecular complexes comprising coordinating ligands attached to the cyclopentadienyl rings. Here, we demonstrate that ferrocene-based single-molecule devices with Fe-Au interfacial contact geometries form at room temperature in the absence of supporting coordinating ligands. Applying a photoredox reaction, we propose that ferrocene only functions effectively as a contact group when oxidized, binding to gold through a formal Fe3+ center. This observation is further supported by a series of control measurements and density functional theory calculations. Our findings extend the scope of junction contact chemistries beyond those involving main group elements, lay the foundation for light switchable ferrocene-based single-molecule devices, and highlight new potential mechanistic function(s) of unsubstituted ferrocenium groups in synthetic processes. Metal-metal interfaces hold promise as contacting moieties for single-molecule devices with tunable functionality, yet the direct bonding has remained a challenge. Here, Lee et al. report the formation of Fe-Au bond without chemical ligand support in ferrocene-based molecular junctions.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | RECTIFICATION RATIOS; ELECTRON-TRANSFER; CONDUCTANCE; TRANSPORT; IRON; SPECTROSCOPY; DEPENDENCE; COMPLEXES; EVOLUTION; DIODES; |
| Subjects: | 500 Science > 530 Physics |
| Divisions: | Physics > Institute of Theroretical Physics > Chair Ferdinand Evers |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Gernot Deinzer |
| Date Deposited: | 26 Jan 2026 14:21 |
| Last Modified: | 26 Jan 2026 14:21 |
| URI: | https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/64553 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
