Solvent backaction on single electron transport in redox molecular nanojunctions

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Peter Nalbach; Professor Dr. Michael Thorwart
• Subject Area: Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: from 2016 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 320285192

This German-Israeli research project addresses the conduction properties of nanoscale redox molecular junctions which operate in a polar solvent. The key idea is to use the backaction effect of the solvent fluctuations on the conduction of electronic charge through the molecule to detect key solvent properties. Such a set-up can readily be used as a basis for a molecular all-electronic nanosensor for the characteristic parameters of the solvent, e.g., to detect ultrasmall changes of concentrations of target species dissolved in a polar solvent, or pH-concentrations. We intend to work out the proof-of-principle of such a device. We shall use a refined combination of a model-based approach of molecular quantum transport with input parameters from realisticsimulations of molecules. Redox molecular nanobrigdes are ideally suited for this purpose, since they operate on the basis of two intrinsic conduction channels. One channel is thereby responsible for the localization of an electron on the molecular bridge, while the second channel generates the conductionsignal. It is the primary goal of this project to study the additional influence of the solvent on the localization properties and to identify its signatures in the conduction signal. Possible technological applications are foreseeable.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Israel
• International Co-Applicant: Professor Abraham Nitzan