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High-Performance Electrochemically Gated Single-Molecule Transistor Enabled by Interfacial Engineering
Rui Wang1, Yingjie Li1, Siyu Yan1
1Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|January 19, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed high-performance single-molecule transistors using diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based molecular wires. Tailoring molecule-electrode coupling with electronic decoupling significantly improved transistor performance, advancing nanoelectronics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanoscience
- Organic Electronics
Background:
- High-performance molecular-scale transistors are crucial for advancing nanoelectronics.
- Developing suitable single-molecule transistor materials presents a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize novel diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based narrow bandgap molecular wires.
- To investigate the effect of tailored molecule-electrode coupling on transistor performance.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of DPP-based molecular wires.
- Electrochemical gating measurements.
- Conductance measurements and transition voltage spectroscopy (TVS).
- Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations.
Main Results:
- The molecular wire DPP-C-SMe, with electronic decoupling, showed over 200-fold electrochemical gated modulation.
- Achieved a low subthreshold swing of 105 mV dec⁻¹ within a 1 V potential window.
- Electronic decoupling reduced off-state conductance while maintaining favorable energy alignment for efficient switching.
Conclusions:
- A cooperative design principle integrating a narrow-band gap core with tailored interfacial engineering enhances single-molecule transistor performance.
- Electronic decoupling at the molecule-electrode interface is key to superior transistor characteristics.
- This work advances molecular-scale control of charge transport for functional nanoelectronics.
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