Molecular Electronics: From Single-Molecule to Large-Area Devices

TL;DR

This review discusses recent advances in molecular electronics focusing on conductance measurements in small molecular junctions, highlighting new insights into electron transport, intermolecular interactions, and high-frequency diode operation.

Contribution

It reviews novel experimental results on molecular junctions, including effects of mechanical constraints, intermolecular interactions, and microwave-frequency diode functionality.

Findings

Mechanical constraints modify electron transport properties.

Intermolecular interactions influence conductance histograms.

Molecular diodes operate up to 18 GHz in the microwave regime.

Abstract

This mini review focuses on conductance measurements through molecular junctions containing few tens of molecules, which are fabricated along two approaches: (i) conducting atomic force microscope contacting a self-assembled monolayers on metal surface, and (ii) tiny molecular junctions made of metal nanodot (diameter < 10 nm), covered by fewer than 100 molecules and contacted by a conducting atomic force microscope. In particular, this latter approach has allowed to obtain new results or to revisit previous ones, which are reviewed here: (i) how the electron transport properties of molecular junctions are modified by mechanical constraint, (ii) the role of intermolecular interactions on the shape of conductance histograms of molecular junctions, and (iii) the demonstration that a molecular diode can operate in the microwave regime up to 18 GHz.