Electronic transport in single molecule junctions: Control of the molecule-electrode coupling through intramolecular tunneling barriers

We report on single molecule electron transport measurements of two oligophenylenevinylene (OPV3) derivatives placed in a nanogap between gold (Au) or lead (Pb) electrodes in a field effect transistor device. Both derivatives contain thiol end groups that allow chemical binding to the electrodes. One derivative has additional methylene groups separating the thiols from the delocalized pi-electron system. The insertion of methylene groups changes the open state conductance by 3-4 orders of magnitude and changes the transport mechanism from a coherent regime with finite zero-bias conductance to sequential tunneling and Coulomb blockade behavior.