Molecular electronics: Scanning tunneling microscopy and single-molecule devices

Among switchable molecules, spin-crossover molecules are particularly appealing for molecular electronics as their change in spin state is associated with a large change in conductance and can also be used for molecular spintronic devices. In this article, we review the techniques that allow one to measure the electronic transport through single spin-crossover molecules. We particularly emphasize recent experiments using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, where the spin state can be controlled by electric field, electric current or light. (C) 2018 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.