Electronic transportation through asymmetrically substituted oligo(phenylene ethynylene)s: studied by first principles nonequilibrium Green's function formalism.

Theoretical investigations of a series of asymmetrically substituted conducting molecular wires [oligo(phenylene ethynylene)s] have been carried out using density functional theory and nonequilibrium Green's function formalism. To get the molecular rectification, the electron-donating group (-NH2) and the electron-withdrawing group (-NO2) are placed on the different positions of the molecular wire. The dependences of spatial distribution and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level on the applied voltage have been found playing dominating but opposite roles in controlling the rectification behavior. In the tested bias range, since the shift LUMO energy level is more important, the electrons transfer more easily from donor to acceptor through the molecular junction in general.