Although
most molecular electronic devices and materials consist
of a backbone with a planar structure, twisted molecular wires with
reduced inter-ring π-orbital overlap offer a unique opportunity
for the modularized fabrication of molecular electronic devices. Herein
we investigate the modularized tuning of the charge transport through
the localized molecules by designing highly twisted molecules and
investigating their single-molecule charge transport using the scanning
tunneling microscopy break junction technique. We find that the anthracenediyl-core
molecule with a 90° inter-ring twist angle shows an unexpectedly
high conductance value, which is five times higher than that of the
phenylene-core molecule with a similar configuration, whereas the
conductance of the delocalized planar molecule with an anthracenediyl
core or a phenylene core is almost the same. Theoretical calculations
revealed that highly twisted angles result in weak interactions between
molecular building blocks, for which molecule orbitals are separated
into localized blocks, which offers the chance for the modularized
tuning of every single block. Our findings offer a new strategy for
the design of future molecular devices with a localized electronic
structure.
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