Cucurbituril mediated single molecule detection and identification via recognition tunneling

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biophysics
• Nanotechnology
• Supramolecular Chemistry

Background:

• Recognition tunneling (RT) is an advanced technique for single-molecule analysis within tunnel junctions.
• Previous work established RT for detecting and identifying single molecules and studying intermolecular bonding dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce cucurbituril as a novel recognition molecule for RT.
• To explore host-guest chemistry at the single-molecule level using an electronic platform.
• To assess the potential of cucurbituril-based RT for single-molecule identification.

Main Methods:

• Investigated single-molecule electrical properties of cucurbituril in a tunnel junction.
• Studied host-guest complexes of cucurbituril with aminoferrocene and amantadine.
• Applied machine learning algorithms to classify RT signals for enhanced recognition accuracy.

Main Results:

• Distinguished host-guest complexes based on subtle differences in conductance and lifetime.
• Achieved significant improvement in guest molecule recognition accuracy using machine learning.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of cucurbituril for single-molecule identification via RT.

Conclusions:

• Cucurbituril serves as a new class of recognition molecule for the RT technique.
• This platform enables electronic investigation of host-guest chemistry at the single-molecule level.
• Opens possibilities for electrical detection of a wide range of small molecules.