Molecular Electronics: From Single-Molecule to Large-Area Devices

This Minireview focuses on conductance measurements on molecular junctions containing few tens of molecules, which are carried out by using two approaches: 1) conducting atomic force microscopy to study self-assembled monolayers on metal surfaces, and 2) tiny molecular junctions made of metal nanodots (diameter <10 nm), covered by fewer than 100 molecules and studied by conducting atomic force microscopy. In particular, this latter approach has new results to be obtained, or to previous results to be revisited which are reviewed here: 1) how the electron-transport properties of molecular junctions are modified by mechanical constraint, 2) the role of intermolecular interactions on the shape of conductance histograms of molecular junctions, and 3) the demonstration that a molecular diode can operate in the microwave regime up to 18 GHz.