Mechanisms of molecular electronic rectification through electronic levels with strong vibrational coupling

We present a new view and an analytical formalism of electron flow through a donor-acceptor molecule inserted between a pair of metal electrodes. The donor and acceptor levels are strongly coupled to an environmental nuclear continuum. The formalism applies to molecular donor-acceptor systems both in vacuum or air, and in aqueous solution under electrochemical potential control.

Multifarious patterns of rectified electron flow from the negatively to the positively biased electrode arise. The electronic interaction between the donor and acceptor fragments, mutually and with the electrodes, can be weak, corresponding to the fully diabatic limit. The rectification process then reduces to a sequence of vibrationally relaxed single-electron transfer steps.

In the limits where the interactions are strong, denoted as the partially and fully adiabatic limits, the character of the rectification process is different, and electron flow proceeds coherently, without vibrational relaxation. In still another class of mechanisms the electronic level broadening of either donor or acceptor from the adjacent electrode is so strong that it is comparable to the vibrational broadening.

The process then reduces to a three-level transition similar to STM of large redox molecules. Recent data for rectification in hexadecyl-quinolinium tricyanodimethanide monolayers by Metzger and co-workers [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 119, 10455 (1997); Acc. Chem. Res. 32, 950 (1999)], are discussed in terms of the reported views and formalism.