title: Unambiguous one-molecule conductance measurements under ambient conditions.
abstract: One of the challenging goals of molecular electronics is to wire exactly one molecule between two electrodes. This is generally nontrivial under ambient conditions. We describe a new and straightforward protocol for unambiguously isolating a single organic molecule on a metal surface and wiring it inside a nanojunction under ambient conditions. Our strategy employs C(60) terminal groups which act as molecular beacons allowing molecules to be visualized and individually targeted on a gold surface using an scanning tunneling microscope. After isolating one molecule, we then use the C(60) groups as alligator clips to wire it between the tip and surface. Once wired, we can monitor how the conductance of a purely one molecule junction evolves with time, stretch the molecule in the junction, observing characteristic current plateaus upon elongation, and also perform direct I-V spectroscopy. By characterizing and controlling the junction, we can draw stronger conclusions about the observed variation in molecular conductance than was previously possible.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados, Facultad de Ciencias Módulo 9, 3a planta Avda. Fco. Tomás y Valiente, 7 Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain. edmund.leary@imdea.org
authors.forename: Edmund
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leary
authors.forename: M Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van der Pol
authors.forename: Martin R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bryce
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Filippone
authors.forename: Nazario
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: Gabino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rubio-Bollinger
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Agraït
mesh_terms: D004566:Electrodes; D037741:Fullerenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D016252:Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D037741:Fullerenes; D006046:Gold; C069837:fullerene C60