Coherent Resonant Electron Tunneling at 9 and 300 K through a 4.5 nm Long, Rigid, Planar Organic Molecular Wire

Organic molecular wires that operate stably at ambient temperatures are a necessary first step toward practical and useful molecular-scale electronic devices, which have thus far been hampered by many factors, including the structural and electron configurational instability of organic molecules. We report here that a single disulfanyl carbon-bridged oligo(phenylenevinylene) (COPV6) molecule embedded between thermally stable electroless Au-plated electrodes of a 4 nm nanogap undergoes coherent resonant tunneling at both 9 and 300 K and functions even after storage in air at room temperature. Such enormous stability is ascribed to the unique structural characteristics of COPV6, that is, rigidity, planarity, thermal stability, resistivity against oxidation and reduction, and an organic insulating sheath that protects the π-system. When sandwiched between the gaps without pinning, this molecule behaves as a Coulomb island with sequential single-electron tunneling at 9 K that disappears at 300 K while maintaining a stable electron flow.