First-principles study of the electronic transport properties of a C131 -based molecular junction

Using first-principles density functional theory and the non-equilibrium Green’s function formalism, we have studied the electronic transport properties of the dumbbell-like fullerene dimer C131-based molecular junction. Our results show that the current–voltage curve displays an obvious negative differential resistance phenomenon in a certain bias voltage range. The negative differential resistance behavior can be understood in terms of the evolution of the transmission spectrum and the projected density of states with applied bias voltage. The present findings could be helpful for the application of the C131 molecule in the field of single molecular devices or nanometer electronics.

► The electronic transport properties of the C131 molecule are studied for the first time.
► The current–voltage curve exhibits a highly unsymmetrical feature and semiconducting behavior.
► An obvious negative differential resistance phenomenon is observed.