Charge transport in a zinc-porphyrin single-molecule junction

Charge transport in a zinc-porphyrin single-molecule junction

Perrin, M.L.
Martin, C.A.
Prins, F.
Shaikh, A.J.
Eelkema, R.
Van Esch, J.H.
Van Ruitenbeek, J.M.
Van der Zant, H.S.
Dulic, D.

Applied Sciences

QN/Quantum Nanoscience

2011-10-18

We have investigated charge transport in ZnTPPdT-Pyr (TPPdT: 5,15-di(p-thiolphenyl)-10,20-di(p-tolyl)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 allows us to characterize the transport in a molecular junction in detail. This complex molecule can form different junction configurations, having an observable effect on the trace histograms and the current-voltage (I(V)) measurements. Both methods show that multiple, stable single-molecule junction configurations can be obtained by modulating the interelectrode distance. In addition we demonstrate that different ZnTPPdT-Pyr junction configurations can lead to completely different spectroscopic features with the same conductance values. We show that statistical low-bias conductance measurements should be 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.

mechanically controllable break junction
molecular conformation
molecular electronics
porphyrin
single-molecule transport

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:3c799c0a-a58d-4e64-9bef-7bdc34d47487

https://doi.org/10.3762/bjnano.2.77

Beilstein-Institut

2190-4286

Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, 2, 2011

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2011 The Author(s)
Licensee Beilstein-Institut