A Molecular Engineering Approach to Conformationally Regulated Conductance Dualism in a Molecular Junction.

One key aspect for the development of functional molecular electronic devices is the ability to precisely tune and reversibly switch the conductance of individual molecules in electrode-molecule-electrode junctions in response to external stimuli. In this work, we present a new approach to access molecular switches by deliberately controlling the flexibility in the molecular backbone. We here describe two new conductance switches based on bis(triarylamines) that rely on the reversible toggling between two conformers, each associated with vastly different conductances.

Linker permethylation as a means to foster valence tautomerism and thwart dimerization in ferrocenyl-triarylmethylium cations.

Permethylation of the phenylene linker in a cationic ferrocenyl-phenylthioxanthylium dyad increases the amount of the diradical ferrocenium thioxanthyl radical valence tautomer and aids in supressing dimerization of the latter and of the one-electron reduced neutral radical.