Paper detail

Theoretical study of transport properties of B40 and its endohedral borospherenes in single-molecule junctions

C60 fullerene has been studied extensively, as it is considered to be a good candidate for building single-molecule junctions. Here, we theoretically demonstrate that the conductance of single-molecule junctions based on a newly discovered molecule, borospherene (B40), is comparable to that for the C60-based junction with its more delocalized π electrons. The charge injection efficiency in the B40-based junction is improved, as up to 7 atoms in direct contact with the electrode are possible in the Au-B40-Au junction. Interestingly, a higher number of atoms in direct contact with the electrode does not result in a higher number of conduction channels because of the unique chemical bonding in the B40 molecule, without two-center two- electron bonds. The transport properties of Au-B40-Au junctions can be proved by doping. With a Ca, Sr, or Y atom encapsulated into the B40 cage, the conductance at zero bias increases significantly. Moreover, our calculations show that the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital dominates the low-bias transport, as the thermopower in these junctions is negative. Our study indicates that B40 is an attractive new platform for designing highly conductive single-molecule junctions for future molecular circuits.