Buckybowl superatom states: a unique route for electron transport?Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4cp05776g

A unique paradigm for intermolecular charge transport mediated by diffuse atomic-like orbital (SAMOs), typically present in conjugated hollow shaped molecules, is investigated for C 20 H 10 molecular fragments by means of G 0 W 0 theory. Inclusion of many body screening and polarization effects is seen to be important for accurate prediction of electronic properties involving these diffuse orbitals. Theoretical predictions are made for the series of bowl-shaped fullerene fragments, C 20 H 10 , C 30 H 10 , C 40 H 10 , C 50 H 10 . Interesting results are found for the LUMO-SAMO energy gap in C 20 H 10 , which is shown to be nearly an order of magnitude lower that that determined for C 60 . Given the ability to support bowl fragments on metal surfaces, these results suggest the concrete possibility for exploiting SAMO-mediated electron transport in supramolecular conducting layers. C 20 H 10 assembled on a Cu(111) surface: 1D conducting layers through SAMOs.