title: Optical modulation of molecular conductance.
abstract: A novel scanning probe microscope stage permits break junction measurements of single molecule conductance while the molecules are illuminated with visible light. We studied a porphyrin-fullerene dyad molecule designed to form a charge separated state on illumination. A significant fraction of illuminated molecules become more conductive, returning to a lower conductance in the dark, suggesting the formation of a long-lived charge separated state on the indium-tin oxide surface. Transient absorption spectra of these molecular layers are consistent with formation of a long-lived charge separated state, a finding with implications for the design of molecular photovoltaic devices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States.
authors.forename: Shreya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Battacharyya
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kibel
authors.forename: Gerdenis
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kodis
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Liddell
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gervaldo
authors.forename: Devens
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gust
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lindsay
mesh_terms: D037741:Fullerenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D007204:Indium / Q000737:chemistry; D008027:Light; D016252:Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D017971:Tin Compounds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D037741:Fullerenes; D011166:Porphyrins; D017971:Tin Compounds; D007204:Indium; C047711:indium oxide; C045358:stannic oxide