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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Single-Molecule Imaging of Nuclear Transport
Published on: June 9, 2010
Steric Turnoff of Vibrationally Mediated Negative Differential Resistance in a Single Molecule
Jennifer Gaudioso1, Wilson Ho2
1Department of Chemistry and Cornell Center for Materials Research Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (USA).
Abstract:
Negative differential resistance (NDR), mediated by vibrational excitation, is strongly dependent on molecular structure and dynamics, according to scanning tunneling microscopy on Cu(001)-bound pyrrolidine and N-methylpyrrolidine at 9 K. Tunneling electrons cause the former to switch between conformations I and II, so that NDR is observed. The methyl group of of the latter compound restricts it to a single conformation, and a linear current-voltage characteristic results.
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