| AVS 58th Annual International Symposium and Exhibition | |
| Nanometer-scale Science and Technology Division | Thursday Sessions |
| Session NS-ThM |
| Session: | Molecular Assembly and Devices |
| Presenter: | Latha Venkataraman, Columbia University |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Understanding and controlling electron transfer across metal/organic interfaces is of critical importance to the field of organic electronics and photovoltaics. Single molecule devices offer an ideal test bed for probing charge transfer details at these interfaces. Results from these single-molecule measurements can be directly related directly theoretical models, unlike measurements at the ensemble level. The ability to fabricate single molecule devices and probe electron transfer reliably and reproducibly has enabled us to study and model transport through them.
In this talk, I will review the scanning tunneling microscope break-junction technique we use to measure electronic transport through single molecule junctions. I will discuss our measurements using novel metal-molecule link chemistries, including amines, phosphines[1] and results from recent work using tri-methyl tin linkers, which yield direct Au-C coupled single molecule junctions[2]. I will show how the intrinsic molecular properties influence measured single molecule conductance and bond rupture forces[3]. Finally, I will show how a mechanically controlled binary single molecule switch can be created using bipyridine molecules[4].
[1] Y. S. Park et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129, 15768 (2007).
[2] Z.-L. Cheng et al., Nat. Nano. In Press (2011).
[3] M. Frei et al., Nano Lett. 11, 1518 (2011).
[4] S. Y. Quek et al., Nat. Nano. 4, 230 (2009).