Enhanced Separation Concept (ESC): Removing the Functional Subunit from the Electrode by Molecular Design

A new concept to improve the reliability of functional single molecule junctions is presented using the E-field triggered switching of Fe^IIbis-terpyridine complexes in a mechanically controlled break junction experiment as model system. The complexes comprise a push-pull ligand sensing the applied E-field and the resulting...

Quantum Transport through a Single Conjugated Rigid Molecule, a Mechanical Break Junction Study

ConspectusThis Account provides an overview of our recent efforts to unravel charge transport characteristics of a metal-molecule-metal junction containing an individual π-conjugated molecule. The model system of our choice is an oligo(phenylene-ethynylene) consisting of three rings, in short OPE3, which represents a paradigmatic model system...

OPE3: A model system for single-molecule transport

In this dissertation, charge-transport through individual organic molecules is investigated. The single molecules are contacted with two-terminal mechanically controllable break junction gold electrodes and their electrical and mechanical behavior studied at room and low temperature.

Transition from Strong to Weak Electronic Coupling in a Single-Molecule Junction

We have investigated charge transport in single-molecule junctions using gold nanoelectrodes at room and cryogenic (10 K) temperatures. A statistical analysis of the low-bias conductance, measured during the stretching of the molecular junctions, shows that the most probable single-molecule conductance is insensitive to the temperature as...

Tracking molecular resonance forms of donor-acceptor push-pull molecules by single-molecule conductance experiments

The ability of molecules to change colour on account of changes in solvent polarity is known as solvatochromism and used spectroscopically to characterize charge-transfer transitions in donor–acceptor molecules. Here we report that donor–acceptor-substituted molecular wires also exhibit distinct properties in single-molecule electronics under...

Probing the local environment of a single OPE3 molecule using inelastic tunneling electron spectroscopy

We study single-molecule oligo(phenylene ethynylene)dithiol junctions by means of inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS). The molecule is contacted with gold nano-electrodes formed with the mechanically controllable break junction technique. We record the IETS spectrum of the molecule from direct current measurements, both as a...

Single-Molecule Break Junctions Based on a Perylene-Diimide Cyano-Functionalized (PDI8-CN2) Derivative

In this letter, we report the single-molecule conductance properties of a cyano-functionalized perylene-diimide derivative (PDI8-CN 2 ) investigated with gold nano-electrodes. This molecule is of large interest for the fabrication of high-performance and air-stable n-type organic field-effect transistors. Low-bias experiments performed on...

Electrical properties and mechanical stability of anchoring groups for single-molecule electronics

We report on an experimental investigation of transport through single molecules, trapped between two gold nano-electrodes fabricated with the mechanically controlled break junction (MCBJ) technique. The four molecules studied share the same core structure, namely oligo(phenylene ethynylene) (OPE3), while having different aurophilic anchoring...

Quantum interference effects at room temperature in OPV-based single-molecule junctions

Interference effects on charge transport through an individual molecule can lead to a notable modulation and suppression on its conductance. In this letter, we report the observation of quantum interference effects occurring at room temperature in single-molecule junctions based on oligo(3)-phenylenevinylene (OPV3) derivatives, in which the...