Conductance Switching and Photovoltaic Effect of Ru(II) Complex Molecular Junctions: Role of Complex Properties and the Metal/Molecule Interface.

The charge transport of Ru(II) complex molecular junctions, fabricated using a soft stamp-printing method, was investigated from 95 to 299 K under both dark and light conditions in order to explore the roles of the electrode/molecule interface and complex properties in the device performance. The junctions show asymmetric current-voltage characteristics with conductance switching and a photovoltaic effect at low temperature. The device performance depends greatly on the redox characteristics and built-in potential induced by electrode/molecule interface(s) and the molecular dipole. Our work may provide valuable information for the design of novel molecular electronics.