Scanning tunneling microscopy experiments on single molecular landers

doi:10.1073/pnas.0500915102

Scanning tunneling microscopy experiments on single molecular landers

Francesca Moresco* and
André Gourdon†,‡

^*Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, D-14195 Berlin, Germany; and ^†NanoSciences Group, Centre d'Elaboration des Matériaux et d'Etudes Structurales–Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 29 Rue J. Marvig, P.O. 94347, F-31055 Toulouse Cedex 04, France

Edited by Mark A. Ratner, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, and approved May 17, 2005 (received for review February 3, 2005)

Abstract

Molecular landers are molecules comprising of a central rigid molecular wire maintained above a metallic surface by organic spacers, which allows specific ultrahigh vacuum-scanning tunneling microscopy experiments to be performed at the single-molecule level. The understanding of the molecule–surface interactions, intramolecular mechanics, and the possibility to perform extremely precise tip-induced manipulation permit these molecules to be brought in contact with a nanoelectrode and the resulting electronic interaction to be analyzed in well controlled conditions.

Footnotes

↵ ‡ To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: gourdon{at}cemes.fr.
Author contributions: F.M. and A.G. designed research, performed research, contributed new reagents/analytic tools, analyzed data, and wrote the paper.
This paper was submitted directly (Track II) to the PNAS office.
Abbreviations: LT, low temperature; SAM, self-assembled monolayer; STM, scanning tunneling microscopy.