High performance mechano-optoelectronic molecular switch

Toward Practical Single-Molecule/Atom Switches

Electronic switches have been considered to be one of the most important components of contemporary electronic circuits for processing and storing digital information. Fabricating functional devices with building blocks of atomic/molecular switches can greatly promote the minimization of the devices and meet the requirement of high integration. This review highlights key developments in the fabrication and application of molecular switching devices. This overview offers valuable insights into the switching mechanisms under various stimuli, emphasizing structural and energy state changes in the core molecules. Beyond the molecular switches, typical individual metal atomic switches are further introduced. A critical discussion of the main challenges for realizing and developing practical molecular/atomic switches is provided. These analyses and summaries will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the switch mechanisms, providing guidance for the rational design of functional nanoswitch devices toward practical applications.

Plasmon-Molecule Interactions in Single-Molecule Junctions

Single-molecule optoelectronics offers opportunities for advancing integrated photonics and electronics, which also serves as a tool to elucidate the underlying mechanism of light-matter interaction. Plasmonics, which plays pivotal role in the interaction of photons and matter, have became an emerging area. A comprehensive understanding of the plasmonic excitation and modulation mechanisms within single-molecule junctions (SMJs) lays the foundation for optoelectronic devices. Consequently, this review primarily concentrates on illuminating the fundamental principles of plasmonics within SMJs, delving into their research methods and modulation factors of plasmon-exciton. Moreover, we underscore the interaction phenomena within SMJs, including the enhancement of molecular fluorescence by plasmonics, Fano resonance and Rabi splitting caused by the interaction of plasmon-exciton. Finally, by emphasizing the potential applications of plasmonics within SMJs, such as their roles in optical tweezers, single-photon sources, super-resolution imaging, and chemical reactions, we elucidate the future prospects and current challenges in this domain.

Carbazole-Benzonitrile-Norbornadiene Conjugates for Photothermally Reversible Ambient Phosphorescence

Organic photoswitches have attracted significant attention across various fields, such as sensing, bioimaging, photopharmacology, molecular machines, and solar energy storage. However, as a result of design complexities, achieving photothermally reversible ambient phosphorescence switching in the condensed state remains elusive. Herein, we explore the impact of norbornadiene (NBD)/quadricyclane (QC) substitution at position 5 of the benzonitrile acceptor covalently attached to the carbazole donor on photothermally reversible luminescence switching. Experimental investigations demonstrated that the CzN and TBCzN switches exhibited photothermally reversible fluorescence switching in solution. Moreover, in the condensed state, fluorescence and ambient phosphorescence switching were observed as a result of a low singlet-triplet (ΔEST) gap (CzN ⇆ CzQ, ΔESTCzN/CzQ = 0.05/0.28 eV; TBCzN ⇆ TBCzQ, ΔESTTBCzN/TBCzQ = 0.06/0.09 eV). Reversible ambient phosphorescence switching is primarily influenced by modulation of acceptor conjugation resulting from NBD ⇆ QC switching. This approach may provide important clues for the design of visible-light-absorbing photothermally reversible phosphorescent materials.