Gas-sensor property of single-molecule device: F2 adsorbing effect**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11374195), the Taishan Scholar Project of Shandong Province, China, and the Jinan Youth Science and Technology Star Project, China (Grant No. 201406004).

Abstract

The single thiolated arylethynylene molecule with 9,10-dihydroanthracene core (denoted as TADHA) possesses pronounced negative differential conductance (NDC) behavior at lower bias regime. The adsorption effects of F2 molecule on the current and NDC behavior of TADHA molecular junctions are studied by applying non-equilibrium Green’s formalism combined with density functional theory. The numerical results show that the F2 molecule adsorbed on the benzene ring of TADHA molecule near the electrode can dramatically suppresses the current of TADHA molecular junction. When the F2 molecule adsorbed on the conjugated segment of 9,10-dihydroanthracene core of TADHA molecule, an obviously asymmetric effect on the current curves induces the molecular system showing apparent rectifier behavior. However, the current especially the NDC behavior have been significantly enlarged when F2 addition reacted with triple bond of TADHA molecule.