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Channel Rhodopsins

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Switchable Rhodamines for Molecular Electronics.

Lan D Pham¹, Matthew O Hight¹, Grace Wang¹

¹Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92506, United States.

Journal of the American Chemical Society

|October 20, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers created the first rhodamine-based single-molecule conductance switch. This molecular switch demonstrates high on/off ratios, paving the way for new molecular electronics.

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Area of Science:

Molecular Electronics
Supramolecular Chemistry
Chemical Sensors

Background:

Rhodamines are versatile fluorogenic sensors used in bioimaging.
They exhibit reversible switching between dark (lactone) and bright (zwitterionic) states.
This equilibrium is sensitive to external stimuli.

Purpose of the Study:

To transpose the rhodamine lactone-zwitterion equilibrium concept to molecular electronics.
To develop the first rhodamine-based single-molecule conductance switch.
To explore rhodamines as a platform for functional molecular electronics.

Main Methods:

Scanning tunneling microscope break-junction (STM-BJ) measurements.
Optical absorbance spectroscopy.
Density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Main Results:

A rhodamine molecular junction exhibited switching between insulating and conducting states triggered by trifluoroacetic acid (TFA).
An on/off conductance ratio of 46 was achieved, one of the highest for chemically responsive single-molecule junctions.
Reversible acid/base switching over three cycles was demonstrated, along with switching induced by lithium ions and sonication.

Conclusions:

Rhodamines can function as effective single-molecule conductance switches.
The lactone-zwitterion interconversion mechanism governs the switching behavior.
Rhodamines represent a promising, underexplored platform for designing advanced molecular electronic devices.