FUNCTIONAL REDOX-ACTIVE MOLECULAR TUNNEL JUNCTIONS

Abstract

Molecular electronics, which use single molecules or self-assembled monolayers as active electrical elements, are complementary to semiconductor-based electronics with the ultimate goal of reducing the footprint or energy consumption of the electronic devices or uncovering new functionalities for applications. Although functional molecular electronics such as molecular diodes and molecular switches based on redox-active molecules have been reported, often the mechanism of charge transport is not well-understood. This thesis focuses on the functional molecular junctions based on redox-active molecules and describes the relationship between the change of redox-states and how it affects the mechanism of charge transport and the electronic/supramolecular structures of the junctions. This thesis provides new insights in controlling the charge transport mechanisms and developing rational design rules for functional molecular junctions with high performance, which is important for the practical application of molecular electronics in the future.