Reproducible measurement of single-molecule conductivity

X. D. Cui; A. Primak; X. Zarate; J. Tomfohr; O. F. Sankey; A. L. Moore; T. A. Moore; D. Gust; Gari Harris; S. M. Lindsay

doi:10.1126/science.1064354

Reproducible measurement of single-molecule conductivity

X. D. Cui, A. Primak, X. Zarate, J. Tomfohr, O. F. Sankey, A. L. Moore, T. A. Moore, D. Gust, Gari Harris, S. M. Lindsay

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1236 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A reliable method has been developed for making through-bond electrical contacts to molecules. Current-voltage curves are quantized as integer multiples of one fundamental curve, an observation used to identify single-molecule contacts. The resistance of a single octanedithiol molecule was 900 ± 50 megohms, based on measurements on more than 1000 single molecules. In contrast, nonbonded contacts to octanethiol monolayers were at least four orders of magnitude more resistive, less reproducible, and had a different voltage dependence, demonstrating that the measurement of intrinsic molecular properties requires chemically bonded contacts.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	571-574
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	294
Issue number	5542
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1064354
Publication status	Published - 2001

Keywords

Electrical conductivity
Single-molecule conductivity
Electrical contacts
Current voltage characteristics
Chemical bonds

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10.1126/science.1064354

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title = "Reproducible measurement of single-molecule conductivity",

abstract = "A reliable method has been developed for making through-bond electrical contacts to molecules. Current-voltage curves are quantized as integer multiples of one fundamental curve, an observation used to identify single-molecule contacts. The resistance of a single octanedithiol molecule was 900 ± 50 megohms, based on measurements on more than 1000 single molecules. In contrast, nonbonded contacts to octanethiol monolayers were at least four orders of magnitude more resistive, less reproducible, and had a different voltage dependence, demonstrating that the measurement of intrinsic molecular properties requires chemically bonded contacts.",

keywords = "Electrical conductivity, Single-molecule conductivity, Electrical contacts, Current voltage characteristics, Chemical bonds",

author = "Cui, {X. D.} and A. Primak and X. Zarate and J. Tomfohr and Sankey, {O. F.} and Moore, {A. L.} and Moore, {T. A.} and D. Gust and Gari Harris and Lindsay, {S. M.}",

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doi = "10.1126/science.1064354",

language = "English",

volume = "294",

pages = "571--574",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Reproducible measurement of single-molecule conductivity

AU - Cui, X. D.

AU - Primak, A.

AU - Zarate, X.

AU - Tomfohr, J.

AU - Sankey, O. F.

AU - Moore, A. L.

AU - Moore, T. A.

AU - Gust, D.

AU - Harris, Gari

AU - Lindsay, S. M.

N1 - dc.publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science dc.description.sponsorship: NSF

PY - 2001

Y1 - 2001

N2 - A reliable method has been developed for making through-bond electrical contacts to molecules. Current-voltage curves are quantized as integer multiples of one fundamental curve, an observation used to identify single-molecule contacts. The resistance of a single octanedithiol molecule was 900 ± 50 megohms, based on measurements on more than 1000 single molecules. In contrast, nonbonded contacts to octanethiol monolayers were at least four orders of magnitude more resistive, less reproducible, and had a different voltage dependence, demonstrating that the measurement of intrinsic molecular properties requires chemically bonded contacts.

AB - A reliable method has been developed for making through-bond electrical contacts to molecules. Current-voltage curves are quantized as integer multiples of one fundamental curve, an observation used to identify single-molecule contacts. The resistance of a single octanedithiol molecule was 900 ± 50 megohms, based on measurements on more than 1000 single molecules. In contrast, nonbonded contacts to octanethiol monolayers were at least four orders of magnitude more resistive, less reproducible, and had a different voltage dependence, demonstrating that the measurement of intrinsic molecular properties requires chemically bonded contacts.

KW - Electrical conductivity

KW - Single-molecule conductivity

KW - Electrical contacts

KW - Current voltage characteristics

KW - Chemical bonds

U2 - 10.1126/science.1064354

DO - 10.1126/science.1064354

M3 - Article

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 294

SP - 571

EP - 574

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 5542

ER -

Reproducible measurement of single-molecule conductivity

Abstract

Keywords

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