Conductivity of Molecules & Single-Electron

Transport

Can we manipulate single molecules so that their electronic

capabilities can be tested and then applied?

In nanostructures the electrical properties can be markedly different

from their macroscopic equivalents thereby revealing many novel
effects.

Various companies at the present are working on developing a

quantum standard of current and capacitance using single electron
transport. Also, there are other researches in similar technologies
which are likely to play important part in future electronic devices,
such as the fabrication of atomic wires, the study of spin-polarised
electronics and magnetic nano-structures. Other possible e-
applications could range from quantum computing and so-called
secure quantum communication, to devices for single-particle sensor
technologies, nano-scale frequency standards and the study of
adatom-surface interactions.
The quantum effects on which most of these devices are based are
very weak and the measurement technology is of paramount
importance.
A number of UK Companies have already extensive low temperature
facilities dedicated to the research on electrical nano-structures and
have developed special ultra low noise measurement systems, such
as cryogenic current comparators and SQUID sensor technology.

The Problem of 'CONTACT'

The results of various researches related to the conductivity of

molecules attached to wires are very well known, e.g. DNA has been
found to be everything from an insulator to a superconductor,
however, up to now, has anyone been able to reliably connect a single
molecule?

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Previous work to measure the electrical properties of small numbers
of molecules has given a wide range of values for their conductivities.
Most previous studies have relied on a 'mechanical' contact between
molecules and a metallic wire, where the two are simply pushed
together. What we need is a way to connect individual molecules on a
molecular circuit board.

In a paper in the October 18, 2001 issue of the journal Science, the
team reports a method for creating through-bond electrical contacts
with single molecules and the achievement of reproducible
measurements of the molecules' conductivity.

The above work started with a uniform atomic layer of gold atoms,
and attached long, octanethiol 'insulator' molecules to it through
chemical bonds, forming a fur-like coating of aligned molecules. They
removed a few of the insulators using a solvent and replaced them
with molecules of 1,8-octanedithiol, a molecule that is similar, but is
capable of bonding with gold at both ends and acting as a molecular
'wire'. Around ‘two nanometre’ gold particles size were then added to
the solvent, where they bonded to the free ends of the 1,8-
octanedithiol molecules, thus creating a bonded metallic 'contact' at
either end of the conducting molecules. A gold-coated conducting
atomic force microscope probe, i.e. a conducting probe with an atom-
sized tip, was then run across the surface and conductivity was
measured when it made contact with the gold particles.

When electrical measurements were made on over 4000 gold

particles, virtually all measurements fell into one of five groups (five
distinct conductivity curves). The conductivity curves were distinct
whole-number multiples of a single, 'fundamental' curve. The
fundamental curve represents conduction by a single molecule of
octanedithiol attached to the two gold contacts. When more than a
single molecule was bound, each additional molecule increased the
current capacity by the single unit amount of current that could be
carried by one molecule. When the probe encountered octanethiol
'insulator' molecules, which could not bond with a gold particle, a
much higher electrical resistance was recorded.

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Single supramolecular structures can be used to create switches and
storage media. As has been shown already with DNA molecules, the
trend towards ‘molecule’ will include biological macromolecules as
well. The ability to manipulate and characterise single molecules is an
important first step for the exploration of suitable molecular
functions. A fully functional chip, however, requires the ability to
assemble the molecules with high precision into a functional network.

Najib Altawell

Altawell © 2009