Charge-Transfer Selectivity and Quantum Interference in Real-Time Electron Dynamics: Gaining Insights from Time-Dependent Configuration Interaction Simulations

Many-electron wavepacket dynamics based on time-dependent configuration interaction (TDCI) is a numerically rigorous approach to quantitatively model electron-transfer across molecular junctions. TDCI simulations of cyanobenzene thiolates---para- and meta-linked to an acceptor gold atom---show donor states \emph{conjugating} with the benzene $π$-network to allow better through-molecule electron migration in the para isomer compared to the meta counterpart. For dynamics involving \emph{non-conjugating} states, we find electron-injection to stem exclusively from distance-dependent non-resonant quantum mechanical tunneling, in which case the meta isomer exhibits better dynamics. Computed trend in donor-to-acceptor net-electron transfer through differently linked azulene bridges agrees with the trend seen in low-bias conductivity measurements. Disruption of $π$-conjugation has been shown to be the cause of diminished electron-injection through the 1,3-azulene, a pathological case for graph-based diagnosis of destructive quantum interference. Furthermore, we demonstrate quantum interference of many-electron wavefunctions to drive para- vs. meta- selectivity in the coherent evolution of superposed $π$(CN)- and $σ$(NC-C)-type wavepackets. Analyses reveal that in the para-linked benzene, $σ$ and $π$ MOs localized at the donor terminal are \emph{in-phase} leading to constructive interference of electron density distribution while phase-flip of one of the MOs in the meta isomer results in destructive interference. These findings suggest that \emph{a priori} detection of orbital phase-flip and quantum coherence conditions can aid in molecular device design strategies.

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