The preparation of 7-Fc⁺-8-Fc-7,8-nido-[C₂B₉H₁₀]⁻ (Fc⁺FcC₂B₉⁻) demonstrates the successful incorporation of a carborane cage as an internal counteranion bridging between ferrocene and ferrocenium units. This neutral mixed-valence Fe^II/Fe^III complex overcomes the proximal electronic bias imposed by external counterions, a practical limitation in the use of molecular switches. A combination of UV/Vis-NIR spectroscopic and TD-DFT computational studies indicate that electron transfer within Fc⁺FcC₂B₉⁻ is achieved through a bridge-mediated mechanism. This electronic framework therefore provides the possibility of an all-neutral null state, a key requirement for the implementation of quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) molecular computing. The adhesion, ordering, and characterization of Fc⁺FcC₂B₉⁻ on Au(111) has been observed by scanning tunneling microscopy.

The preparation of 7-Fc⁺-8-Fc-7,8-nido-[C₂B₉H₁₀]⁻ (Fc⁺FcC₂B₉⁻) demonstrates the successful incorporation of a carborane cage as an internal counteranion bridging between ferrocene and ferrocenium units. This neutral mixed-valence Fe^II/Fe^III complex overcomes the proximal electronic bias imposed by external counterions, a practical limitation in the use of molecular switches. A combination of UV/Vis-NIR spectroscopic and TD-DFT computational studies indicate that electron transfer within Fc⁺FcC₂B₉⁻ is achieved through a bridge-mediated mechanism. This electronic framework therefore provides the possibility of an all-neutral null state, a key requirement for the implementation of quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) molecular computing. The adhesion, ordering, and characterization of Fc⁺FcC₂B₉⁻ on Au(111) has been observed by scanning tunneling microscopy.