Single-Electron Currents in Designer Single-Cluster Devices

Atomically precise clusters can be used to create single-electron devices wherein a single redox-active cluster is connected to two macroscopic electrodes via anchoring ligands. Unlike single-electron devices comprising nanocrystals, these cluster-based devices can be fabricated with atomic precision. This affords an unprecedented level of control over the device properties. Herein, we design a series of cobalt chalcogenide clusters with varying ligand geometries and core nuclearities to control their current-voltage (I-V) characteristics in a scanning tunneling microscope-based break junction (STM-BJ) device. First, the device geometry is modified by precisely positioning junction-anchoring ligands on the surface of the cluster. We show that the I-V characteristics are independent of ligand placement, confirming a sequential, single-electron tunneling mechanism. Next, we chemically fuse two clusters to realize a larger cluster dimer that behaves as a single electronic unit, possessing a smaller reorganization energy and more accessible redox states than the monomeric analogues. As a result, dimer-based devices exhibit significantly higher currents and can even be pushed to current saturation at high bias. Owing to these controllable properties, single-cluster junctions serve as an excellent platform for exploring incoherent charge transport processes at the nanoscale. With this understanding, as well as properties such as nonlinear I-V characteristics and rectification, these molecular clusters may function as conductive inorganic nodes in new devices and materials.