Nakamura Miki, Yoshida Shoji, Katayama Tomoki, Taninaka Atsushi, Mera Yutaka, Okada Susumu, Takeuchi Osamu, Shigekawa Hidemi
Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8571, Japan.
Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga 520-2122, Japan.
Nat Commun. 2015 Oct 6;6:8465. doi: 10.1038/ncomms9465.
Understanding and extracting the full functions of single-molecule characteristics are key factors in the development of future device technologies, as well as in basic research on molecular electronics. Here we report a new methodology for realizing a three-dimensional (3D) dynamic probe of single-molecule conductance, which enables the elaborate 3D analysis of the conformational effect on molecular electronics, by the formation of a Si/single molecule/Si structure using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). The formation of robust covalent bonds between a molecule and Si electrodes, together with STM-related techniques, enables the stable and repeated control of the conformational modulation of the molecule. By 3D imaging of the conformational effect on a 1,4-diethynylbenzene molecule, a binary change in conductance with hysteresis is observed for the first time, which is considered to originate from a mechanically activated conformational change.
理解和提取单分子特性的全部功能是未来器件技术发展以及分子电子学基础研究的关键因素。在此，我们报告一种实现单分子电导三维（3D）动态探测的新方法，该方法通过使用扫描隧道显微镜（STM）形成Si/单分子/Si结构，能够对分子电子学中的构象效应进行精细的三维分析。分子与Si电极之间形成强大的共价键，再结合与STM相关的技术，能够实现对分子构象调制的稳定且重复的控制。通过对1,4 - 二乙炔基苯分子构象效应的三维成像，首次观察到具有滞后现象的电导二元变化，这被认为源于机械激活的构象变化。
