Swapping one atom can cut heat flow through a molecule by half
Swapping a single atom can fine-tune the thermal conductance of single-molecule junctions without affecting their electrical conductance, according to a study led by University of Michigan Engineering with collaborators at the University of Augsburg published in Nature Materials. To study heat flow through single molecules, the researchers trapped a small organic molecule between two gold electrodes and systematically replaced one hydrogen atom with progressively heavier halogens: fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine. Each swap to a heavier atom resulted in further reduction of heat transport through the junction, which cuts heat flow in half upon iodine substitution. "This is a powerful demonstration that heat flow can be controlled with atomic precision—a capability that could transform how we design thermoelectric devices and molecular materials for thermal management," said Pramod Reddy, a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering at U-M and co-corresponding author of the study.
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