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Updated: May 28, 2026

Phase Diagram Characterization Using Magnetic Beads as Liquid Carriers
Published on: September 4, 2015
An MCBJ case study: The influence of π-conjugation on the single-molecule conductance at a solid/liquid interface
Wenjing Hong1, Hennie Valkenier, Gábor Mészáros
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiesstrasse 3, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland.
Abstract:
π-Conjugation plays an important role in charge transport through single molecular junctions. We describe in this paper the construction of a mechanically controlled break-junction setup (MCBJ) equipped with a highly sensitive log I-V converter in order to measure ultralow conductances of molecular rods trapped between two gold leads. The current resolution of the setup reaches down to 10 fA. We report single-molecule conductance measurements of an anthracene-based linearly conjugated molecule (AC), of an anthraquinone-based cross-conjugated molecule (AQ), and of a dihydroanthracene-based molecule (AH) with a broken conjugation. The quantitative analysis of complementary current-distance and current-voltage measurements revealed details of the influence of π-conjugation on the single-molecule conductance.
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