Charge transport in a zinc–porphyrin single-molecule junction

• Mickael L. Perrin,
• Christian A. Martin,
• Ferry Prins,
• Ahson J. Shaikh,
• Rienk Eelkema,
• Jan H. van Esch,
• Jan M. van Ruitenbeek,
• Herre S. J. van der Zant and
• Diana Dulić

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 714–719, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.77

• )porphyrin) molecular junctions using the lithographic mechanically controllable break-junction (MCBJ) technique at room temperature and cryogenic temperature (6 K). We combined low-bias statistical measurements with spectroscopy of the molecular levels in the form of I(V) characteristics. This combination

• interpreted with care, and that the combination with I(V) spectroscopy represents an essential tool for a more detailed characterization of the charge transport in a single molecule. Keywords: mechanically controllable break junction; molecular conformation; molecular electronics; porphyrin; single-molecule

• transport; Introduction The break-junction method represents a popular choice to investigate the electronic transport through metal–molecule–metal junctions [1][2][3][4][5][6]. While repeatedly breaking and fusing two metallic electrodes, the low-bias conductance is monitored as a function of the electrode

An MCBJ case study: The influence of π-conjugation on the single-molecule conductance at a solid/liquid interface

• Wenjing Hong,
• Hennie Valkenier,
• Gábor Mészáros,
• David Zsolt Manrique,
• Artem Mishchenko,
• Alexander Putz,
• Pavel Moreno García,
• Colin J. Lambert,
• Jan C. Hummelen and
• Thomas Wandlowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 699–713, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.76

• molecular junctions. We describe in this paper the construction of a mechanically controlled break-junction setup (MCBJ) equipped with a highly sensitive log I–V converter in order to measure ultralow conductances of molecular rods trapped between two gold leads. The current resolution of the setup reaches

• current–distance and current–voltage measurements revealed details of the influence of π-conjugation on the single-molecule conductance. Keywords: anthraquinone; π-conjugation; mechanically controlled break junction; single-molecule conductance; Introduction Molecular electronics has expanded

• single molecules or of a few molecules trapped between two leads were studied in various experimental platforms. These include scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) [27][28][29], current probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM) [30][31][32], scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) or STM-break junction (STM-BJ

Interaction of spin and vibrations in transport through single-molecule magnets

• Falk May,
• Maarten R. Wegewijs and
• Walter Hofstetter

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 693–698, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.75

• the fundamental problem of how a few magnetic atoms in an anisotropic environment respond to an electron current [1]. Such an environment is provided, for instance, by ligand groups holding such atoms together in a single magnetic molecule contacted in a break junction [2][3]. A very similar situation