Resonant tunnelling through a C(60) molecular junction in a liquid environment

Area of Science:

• Molecular electronics
• Nanoscale transport phenomena

Background:

• Thiolated C(60) molecules offer a platform for studying single-molecule electronic transport.
• Mechanically controllable break junctions provide precise control over electrode separation for nanoscale measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate electronic transport properties of thiolated C(60) molecules in a liquid environment.
• To understand the influence of the surrounding solvent on molecular conductance.
• To extract electronic tunneling rates using a resonant tunneling model.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of mechanically controllable break junctions modified with single thiolated C(60) molecules.
• Performing electronic transport measurements by varying electrode separation.
• Conducting experiments in two distinct liquid solvents to probe environmental effects.

Main Results:

• Observation of a distinct conductance peak as electrode separation was varied.
• Significant influence of the solvent environment on the shape of conductance traces.
• Successful extraction of electronic tunneling rates from the experimental data.

Conclusions:

• The electronic transport through C(60) molecules is sensitive to their liquid environment.
• The resonant tunneling model provides a framework for quantifying transport properties.
• This study advances the understanding of molecular-scale electronic devices in solution.