Biradical and triradical organic magnetic molecules as spin filters and rectifiers

Graphical abstract: (a) Negative differential resistance (NDR) characteristic and antiparallel spin-current (ASC) rectification; (b) spin-current (SC) rectification and charge-current (CC) rectification properties Display Omitted Highlights: ► Organic magnetic molecules at gold electrodes as spin/charge rectifier. ► Spin diode/rectification stems from length and asymmetry of molecular framework. ► Negative differential resistance, spin-filtering and switching evidenced. - Abstract: We have theoretically investigated the spin-polarized transport properties of molecular junctions consisting of biradical and triradical organic magnetic molecules sandwiched between two symmetric gold electrodes, respectively. It shows that these junctions function as a spin rectifier or a combination of spin and charge rectifiers with high spin rectification ratios exceeding 100, wherein the spin diode/rectification effect stems from the conjugated length and asymmetry of the molecular framework, which is the pre-requisite for electronic asymmetry of the adsorbed species. The negative differential resistance, spin-filtering and switching properties are also unveiled. In particular, it is revealed that the strong couplings between the electrodes and molecules are responsible for the negative differential resistance.