Electron transfer articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Solvated electrons can be formed through photo-induced charge-transfer-to-solvent electronic states of halide ions in water. Here, the authors use machine learning accelerated molecular dynamics simulations to follow the evolution of these states for aqueous iodide in detail.

    • Jinggang Lan
    • , Majed Chergui
    •  & Alfredo Pasquarello

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Metal-metal interfaces hold promise as contacting moieties for single-molecule devices with tunable functionality, yet the direct bonding has remained a challenge. Here, Lee et al. report the formation of Fe-Au bond without chemical ligand support in ferrocene-based molecular junctions.

    • Woojung Lee
    • , Liang Li
    •  & Latha Venkataraman

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hydrated electrons at the water/air interface participate in natural and synthetic processes, but investigation of their properties remains challenging. Here the authors show that most of their electron density is solvated below the dividing surface and solvates into the bulk in around 10 picoseconds, leaving its phenoxyl radical source at the interface.

    • Caleb J. C. Jordan
    • , Marc P. Coons
    •  & Jan R. R. Verlet

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Microbial communication has significant implications for industrial applications, but constructing communication systems which support coordinated behaviors is challenging. Here, the authors report an electron transfer triggered redox communication network and demonstrate its ability to coordinate microbial metabolism.

    • Na Chen
    • , Na Du
    •  & Quan Yuan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A common approach to design single-molecule switch is to use molecular backbones in response to external stimulus, but often requires complex organic synthesis. Here, Tong et al. show how to in situ control of the molecule-electrode contact using electrochemical gating to realize a reversible switch.

    • Ling Tong
    • , Zhou Yu
    •  & Xiao-Shun Zhou

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here, the authors demonstrate that imprinting chirality onto top performing oxygen evolution reaction catalysts enhances their performance beyond that expected from thermodynamic considerations based on reaction intermediate adsorbate catalyst interaction energies.

    • Aravind Vadakkayil
    • , Caleb Clever
    •  & David H. Waldeck

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Designing scaled electronic devices for neuromorphic applications remains a challenge. Here, Zhang et al. develop an artificial molecular synapse based on self-assembled peptide molecule monolayer whose conductance can be dynamically modulated and used for waveform recognition.

    • Yuchun Zhang
    • , Lin Liu
    •  & Yong Yan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electron transfer between mitochondrial cytochrome c and subunit of cytochrome bc1 can proceed at long distance. Here the authors investigate further the mechanism and show phosphorylation regulation of the interactions between the protein partners in the electron transport chain.

    • Alexandre M. J. Gomila
    • , Gonzalo Pérez-Mejías
    •  & Anna Lagunas

  • Article
    | Open Access

    While liquid-liquid interface offers better contact and charge transfer potential than solid-based counterparts, fluidity still poses challenges for their application. Here, authors show that charge transfer exists in aqueous two-phase systems and propose a nanogenerator design based on the immiscible aqueous-aqueous interface.

    • Ye Lu
    • , Longlong Jiang
    •  & Xiaoxiong Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Proteins are promising molecular materials for next-generation electronic devices. Here, the authors fabricated printable digital logic circuits comprising resistors and diodes from self-assembled photosystem I complexes that enable pulse modulation.

    • Xinkai Qiu
    •  & Ryan C. Chiechi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The photosystem II reaction center (PSII-RC) is a model system to understand the initial steps of photosynthesis, but its excited state dynamics is difficult to disentangle with most spectroscopic methods. Here the authors perform a two-dimensional electronic-vibrational spectroscopic study of PSII-RC, providing detailed insight into such dynamics and into the mechanism of charge separation.

    • Yusuke Yoneda
    • , Eric A. Arsenault
    •  & Graham R. Fleming

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Oxidative allylic C–H functionalizations minimise the need for functional group activation and generate alkenyl-substituted products amenable to further chemical modifications. Here the authors report an oxidant-free, electrocatalytic approach to achieve intramolecular oxidative allylic C–H amination and alkylation by employing tailored cobalt-salen complexes as catalysts.

    • Chen-Yan Cai
    • , Zheng-Jian Wu
    •  & Hai-Chao Xu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Realizing ultra-high work functions (UHWFs) in hole-doped polymer semiconductors remains a challenge due to water-oxidation reactions. Here, the authors determine the role of water-anion complexes in limiting the work function and develop a design strategy for realizing UHWF polymers.

    • Qi-Mian Koh
    • , Cindy Guanyu Tang
    •  & Peter K. H. Ho

  • Article
    | Open Access

    UV-induced photodamage that likely occurred during the prebiotic synthesis of DNA and RNA is still an untackled issue for their origin on early Earth. Here, the authors show that substitution of 2,6-diaminopurine for adenine enables repair of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers with high yields, and demonstrate that both 2,6-diaminopurine and adenine nucleosides can be formed under the same prebiotic conditions.

    • Rafał Szabla
    • , Magdalena Zdrowowicz
    •  & Janusz Rak

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Kondo effect can serve as a powerful paradigm to understand strongly correlated many-body processes in physics. Here, Guo et al. utilize single molecule transistor devices as a testbed to study multi-level Kondo correlation and show electrical gate evolution and the universality of the two-stage Kondo effect.

    • Xiao Guo
    • , Qiuhao Zhu
    •  & Wenjie Liang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The nature of the bulk hydrated electron has been a challenge for both experiment and theory. Here the authors use a machine-learning model trained on MP2 data to achieve an accurate determination of the structure, diffusion mechanisms, and vibrational spectroscopy of the solvated electron.

    • Jinggang Lan
    • , Venkat Kapil
    •  & Vladimir V. Rybkin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Landau-Zener formula is a semiclassical model describing nonadiabatic transitions, but its range of validity in approaching the adiabatic regime had not been verified. The authors investigate electron transfer reactions in a series of mixed-valence complexes spanning the nonadiabatic throughout the adiabatic limit, and show that the model is valid in a broader range of conditions than previously expected.

    • Guang Yuan Zhu
    • , Yi Qin
    •  & Chun Y. Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Chemical interaction between metal and oxide supports is an important molecular-level factor that influences the catalytic selectivity of a desirable reaction. Here, using Pt nanowires/TiO2 catalytic nanodiodes, the authors investigate an enhancement of both selectivity and hot electron generation on metal-oxide interfacial sites.

    • Si Woo Lee
    • , Jong Min Kim
    •  & Jeong Young Park

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Controlling and modulating charge transfer dynamics in composite nanostructures, though promising for optoelectronic applications, remains a challenge. Here, the authors report optical control of charge separation and recombination processes in organic semiconductor-based composite nanostructures.

    • Kwang Jin Lee
    • , Elke Beyreuther
    •  & Pascal André

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Functionalizing two-dimensional (2D) hybrid perovskites with organic chromophores is a novel approach to tune their optoelectronic properties. Here, the authors report efficient charge separation and conduction in 2D hybrid perovskite nanoplatelets by incorporating an electron acceptor chromophore.

    • María C. Gélvez-Rueda
    • , Magnus B. Fridriksson
    •  & Ferdinand C. Grozema

  • Article
    | Open Access

    CO2 to methanol synthesis is a promising approach for renewable fuel production. Here, the authors show that UV and visible light dual activation promotes photothermal methanol production at the copper-zinc oxide interfacial perimeter by accelerating formate conversion and hydrogen molecule activation.

    • Bingqiao Xie
    • , Roong Jien Wong
    •  & Rose Amal

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A better understanding of processes responsible for photocurrent generation in semiconductors and nanocomposites is essential in many applications. Here, authors use a ZnO-based hybrid material to demonstrate an unusual photocurrent switching effect induced by varying irradiation intensities.

    • Agnieszka Podborska
    • , Maciej Suchecki
    •  & Konrad Szaciłowski

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photoinduced non-adiabatic intramolecular processes have important applications but their mechanisms are challenging to explore. Here the authors detect and assign vibrational wavepacket dynamics in a Fe carbene complex by ultrafast X-ray emission spectroscopy and X-ray scattering, resolving nuclear and electronic motion.

    • Kristjan Kunnus
    • , Morgane Vacher
    •  & Kelly J. Gaffney

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Singlet fission is a promising carrier multiplication process, where a singlet exciton is split in two triplet states. Here the authors propose an oxygen-assisted two-step mechanism for singlet fission accounting for ~ 40% triplet quantum yield in dilute solutions where the single-step mechanism is inactive.

    • Nikolaus Wollscheid
    • , J. Luis Pérez Lustres
    •  & Tiago Buckup

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Excited state aromaticity gives rise to unique photophysical properties which may aid the design of functional photoactive materials. Here, the authors spectroscopically characterize an acceptor-donor-acceptor system featuring a two-electron transfer process stabilized by aromatization in the lower energy excited state.

    • Jinseok Kim
    • , Juwon Oh
    •  & Dongho Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Manipulation of charge carriers is promising for tuning electronic, optical and magnetic properties in two-dimensional materials, but mechanistic details are not fully understood. Here, the authors report that ambient redox reactions govern charge transfer doping in graphene and tungsten disulfide.

    • Kwanghee Park
    • , Haneul Kang
    •  & Sunmin Ryu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The mechanism of nonadiabatic electron transfer in molecular systems is an important research topic for understanding various chemical reactions. Thomas et al. quantify resonant charge transport through single-molecule junctions as a model system for examining quantum and Marcus theories.

    • James O. Thomas
    • , Bart Limburg
    •  & Jan A. Mol

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Understanding the energetic driving force is important for optimizing the performance of organic solar cells. Here Nakano et al. suggest that the dominant driving force is the energy difference between the singlet excited state and the charge transfer state after assessing 16 material combinations.

    • Kyohei Nakano
    • , Yujiao Chen
    •  & Keisuke Tajima

  • Article
    | Open Access

    To demonstrate charge transfer in different Marcus regimes in an organic semiconductor, precise tuning of the material’s electronic properties is required. Here, the authors use a three-terminal hot-electron technique to access the Marcus regimes for electronic transport in organic thin films.

    • A. Atxabal
    • , T. Arnold
    •  & L. E. Hueso

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The donor–acceptor (D-A) conjugation has been adopted for two-dimensional (2D) covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for efficient generation of free charge carriers. Here, the authors investigate the dynamics of photogenerated charge carriers in 2D D-A COFs by combining femtosecond optical spectroscopy and non-adiabatic molecular dynamics simulation.

    • Tae Wu Kim
    • , Sunhong Jun
    •  & Hyotcherl Ihee

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Distinguishing electronic and vibrational coherences helps to clarify the near-unity efficiency of primary electron transfer in reaction centres. Here, the authors report their respective correlation with the electron transfer rate by comparing the 2D electronic spectra of three mutant reaction centres.

    • Fei Ma
    • , Elisabet Romero
    •  & Rienk van Grondelle

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Infrared-light-induced carrier transfer is a key technology for ‘invisible’ optical devices, but making materials with the right properties remains a challenge. Here, the authors fabricate a clear and colourless material which converts infrared light to an electrical signal or energy based on a localized surface plasmon resonance, with implications for the development of invisible optical devices.

    • Masanori Sakamoto
    • , Tokuhisa Kawawaki
    •  & Toshiharu Teranishi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Radiation-induced low-energy electrons in solution are implicated in DNA damage, but their relaxation dynamics are not well understood. Here the authors observe how quasi-free electrons dissociate glycosidic bonds via an excited nucleoside anion radical, whereas solvated electrons reside on the nucleoside as a relatively stable anion radical.

    • Jun Ma
    • , Anil Kumar
    •  & Mehran Mostafavi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electron transport chains rely on interactions between redox proteins, but the distance-dependence of the electron transfer rate through the solution is unknown. Here, the authors show that the current between two redox protein partners occurs at long distances and is electrochemically gated.

    • Anna Lagunas
    • , Alejandra Guerra-Castellano
    •  & Pau Gorostiza

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nanosized ceria has conventionally been thought to have a cubic fluorite structure. Here, the authors use a combination of experiments and simulations to show that oxygen vacancies in ceria promote a charge-transfer induced phase transition from tetragonal to cubic.

    • He Zhu
    • , Chao Yang
    •  & Xianran Xing

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It is known that intermolecular interactions impact electron transfer rates, but the mechanisms involved are challenging to define experimentally. Here, the authors have developed a platform that enables atomic orbital resolution of electron transfer through an explicit intermolecular interaction.

    • Cameron W. Kellett
    • , Wesley B. Swords
    •  & Curtis P. Berlinguette

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