Theoretical Study on the Conduction Properties of π-Stacked Single-Molecule Junctions with Stacked Aromaticity

Abstract

π-stacked single-molecule junctions stacked with π-conjugated molecules have the potential to be used as building blocks for single-molecule scale three-dimensional integrated circuits. In this study, we investigate the relationship between π-stacking distance and conductance in face-to-face π-stacked single-molecule junctions with benzene as the monomer unit using the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF), which combines the Hückel molecular orbital (HMO) and density functional theory (DFT) methods. As the π-stack distance between two benzene molecules decreases, the pseudo-para junction, which is insulating, turns conductive. Furthermore, it was found that the cause of this change can be explained by orbital interactions.