The [1,3]-Si→O Silyl Shift from a Nonconducting Acylsilane to a Conducting Brook-Silene as Basis for a Molecular Switch

• By usage of density functional theory (DFT) calculations we explored if the [1,3]-silyl shift leading from an acylsilane with two p-conjugated substituents to a silene (a Si=C double bonded compound) can be used as a basis for a molecular conductance switch. In such a switch, the acylsilane, with a tetrahedral saturated silicon atom disrupting the conjugation through the molecule, acts as the OFF state, whereas the silene with a conjugated path running through the complete molecule represents the ON state. Our requirements are (i) the silenes should be slightly higher in relative energy than the acylsilane so as to promote a thermal backrearragment, (ii) the barrier for the backtransfer of the silyl group should be 25-30 kcal/mol, (iii) the ON/OFF conductance ratio should be high, and (iv) the switch should be realistic. According to our calculations using non-equilibrium Green’s function theory, a 1,2-bis(4-thiophenylethynyl)silene has a conductance which is 270 times higher than that of the corresponding acylsilane at zero bias voltage. However, at a voltage of +1 V the ON/OFF ratio decreases to ~40.

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NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Organisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Organic Chemistry (hsv//eng)

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